Nottingham families are already saving money on school uniform through a Council-funded scheme, with schools passing on pre-loved clothing from as little as 50p and providing free items to eligible households.
Following the Council’s funding announcement, the partnership with Cress offers all 113 schools in the city access to the scheme, with the potential to support more than 43,000 children and their families. Schools can also issue codes so eligible households can access items free of charge.
Participating schools are already seeing results. Southglade Primary School has passed on 110 items of uniform since launching its shop, while Glade Hill Primary School has helped parents save approximately £500 in just over a week.
The partnership between Nottingham City Council and Cress helps schools set up online uniform shops so families can find affordable clothing throughout the school year. It forms part of the Council’s wider £7.6 million programme of funding to support frontline services and deliver improvements that matter to residents.
Schools keep the proceeds from donated uniform sales, helping them raise funds while giving clothing a second life and reducing waste.
Councillor Sulcan Mahmood, Executive Member for Employment, Education and Skills, said: “School uniform is an expense that can put real pressure on family budgets, particularly when children grow out of clothing so quickly. Through our additional funding, we’re helping Nottingham families access affordable uniform throughout the school year, with free items available to those who need additional support.
“This is a practical way to support families while helping schools raise funds and making good use of clothing that still has plenty of life left in it. We’d encourage parents and carers to speak to their child’s school to find out what’s available and how to access support.”
A parent at Sneinton CE Primary School said: “This means a lot as winter is approaching and it’s a sudden worry for families less privileged and every child needs to be warm. I was so happy when the jumper just arrived and was the right fit and above all warm.”
Cress provides hands-on support to help participating schools set up and run their shops. Schools covered by the funding can still join free of charge, with the Cress team handling the setup.
Katherine Molyneux, Co Founder and COO of Cress, who is personally leading implementation with participating schools, said: “The feedback from the schools I’ve met has been wonderful. Working directly with each school means we can see the real difference Cress is making for families and school communities. Schools want to help their families and having a practical way to make affordable uniform available throughout the year is making a real impact. What makes this particularly rewarding is that the benefits stay within the community. Families save money, schools can generate income and clothing that still has plenty of life left in it is used again.”
Parents and carers should contact their child’s school for its uniform shop link, details of available stock and information about accessing free items. They can also check whether their school is taking part at wearecress.com.
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