Children’s charity Wood Street Mission has opened referrals to its £1 million project to kit out children for school.
Families living on a low income can apply to the charity in May and June 2016 for help with uniform costs in time for the new school year in September.
SmartStart Manchester & Salford gives out non-branded uniform to pre-school, primary and secondary school children.
The £1 million, four-year project was launched in July last year.
The charity says it saw a 33% hike in the number of families coming forward, and that new applicants should not be embarrassed to ask for help.
A third of the million-pound fund has been earmarked specifically for Salford children.
School uniforms are one of parents’ biggest yearly spends with average sports and classroom kit costing up to £220 per child.
Over 1 in 4 children in Salford is living in poverty and Salford City Council has not provided school uniform grants for some years.
Families referred to the project last year got an average of £102-worth of uniform and sports kit.
This year children starting reception and year 7 will get additional help given the extra costs associated with starting a new school.
Roseanne Sweeney, chief executive of Wood Street Mission, said: “Many families struggle to afford school uniform which means their children can stand out and be embarrassed or bullied at school.”
We are delighted to be working in partnership with Trutex again this year to provide thousands of local children with high quality, smart uniform to help them fit in and want to achieve.”
Wood Street Mission – find them online here – are appealing to supporters and suppliers for donations of non-branded uniform, sports kit, school bags and stationery over the summer months.
The charity has been helping children below the poverty line to live healthier and happier lives since 1869.
