Peterborough charity donates school uniforms worth £3,000

Joe GriffinLocal Democracy Reporting Service and

Shariqua AhmedBBC News, Peterborough

Getty Images A rail of uniforms with white shirts, blue shirts, grey trousers and black or grey sweatshirts on hangers. — The uniforms event is being held on Wednesday at the Ortongate Shopping Centre

A charity has donated school uniform worth about £3,000 to help struggling families.

The uniforms, donated by Family Voice Peterborough (FVP), will be free for Peterborough parents and carers to collect at the city’s Ortongate Sports Bar from 12:00 until 13:00 BST on Wednesday.

Louise Ravenscroft, of FVP, said the charity was seeing a rise in families struggling with the cost of living and “wanted to help alleviate the costs”.

Kirsty Knight, independent city councillor for Orton Waterville, who is helping organise the event, thanked the charity for its “incredible act of kindness, which will make a real difference to parents and children in our community”.

Kirsty Knight is looking for some volunteers to help unpack, fold and sort the unbranded uniforms ahead of the event

Kirsty Knight Kirsty Knight smiling for the camera in a selfie, wearing a black cardigan. — Kirsty Knight is looking for some volunteers to help unpack, fold and sort the unbranded uniforms ahead of the event

She said: “As a mother of three, I understand how challenging the cost of school uniforms can be for families, especially during the current financial climate.

“I would also like to thank Lloyd, the owner of Ortongate Sports Bar, for kindly donating the space to host this initiative. His generosity ensures that families in our community can access this support.

“This is about helping parents who are struggling with the costs of essential items for their children. I encourage anyone in need to come along and make use of this opportunity.”

FVP aims to improve services in all areas of the lives of children and young people with disabilities or additional needs, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Ms Ravenscroft said it was helping at least 30 families with children with special education needs and disabilities every month, with numbers increasing each month.

“There are a lot of concerns with poverty, especially with parents with kids with special needs,” she said.

“We get an awful lot of requests for food support. There are a lot of families who are struggling.

“So anything we can do to alleviate their costs, we would absolutely do.”

Louise Ravenscroft said the charity had unused funding it wanted “to put to good use”

Louise Ravenscroft Louise Ravenscroft, wearing a sleeveless white top and smiling for the camera. She is sitting outside on a white wooden bench. — Louise Ravenscroft said the charity had unused funding it wanted “to put to good use”

Last month, dozens of parents benefitted from a uniform swap event initiated by Peterborough’s Youth MP Danielle Daboh the Queensgate Shopping Centre ahead of the new autumn school term.

Mum-of-two Jessica Harper, who attended, said she had been trying to budget to buy uniforms for her children and that the event was “the perfect opportunity I needed without costing me so much money”.

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