Leeds School Uniform Exchange
Service
A city-wide infrastructure to enable school uniform exchanging
A suite of resources to encourage and support people to start exchanging
Events
Campaign to normalise and de-stigmatise second hand
Timescale
July 2020 to present
Funders & Collaborators
Leeds City Council
Leeds Community Foundation
Fresh Start
Zarach
Seacroft on Top
St Lukes Cares
Breeze Leeds
Holbeck Together
Leeds Inner West Uniform Exchange
LS26 Community Food Bank
Meanwood Community Centre
Reduce Reuse Kids' Clothes - Part of Pudsey Community Project
Space2 Leeds
St Giles Trust
St Vincent's
Temple Newsam School Uniform Exchange - part of H.O.P.E
The problem
More families than ever are struggling financially due to the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. School uniform is expensive and unaffordable for some families with the result that children don’t have the uniform they need - leading to bullying, exclusion and ultimately impacting on their education.
School uniform is also a significant source of textile waste, particularly as charity shops are often unable to re-sell school specific uniform items.
Our solution
Launched in June 2020 Leeds School Uniform Exchange has created a city-wide network of hyperlocal exchanges to share school uniform. Through our website and Facebook group people can easily find or ask for the uniform they need, via pop-up shops or local online and offline exchanges.
We have also created resources to help people set up their own exchange and through our network of exchanges we ensure uniform moves around the city from areas where there is a surplus uniform to areas of most need.
Our impact
273 exchange opportunities now exist city wide, with more than 85% of Leeds schools now covered by a uniform exchange. It means families have money to spend on other essentials, the city generates less waste and has lowered its carbon footprint. Sharing uniform is becoming the norm, and families across the city know that there is an easy way to save money by accessing free school uniform.
To find out more, check out our impact report below which shows our impact for the year 2021.
