Community works together to get kids back to school on a budget

The Salvation Army, as part of South Tyneside Council of Churches, is supporting Emtras (Ethnic Minority, Traveller and Refugee Achievement Service) in collecting good quality new and preloved school uniforms to distribute to families in need ahead of the return to school in September.

The church, on Wawn Street, South Shields, has provided a large room within its building to store and sort donated new and preloved school uniforms ahead of the distribution in the last week of August. The room has been set up for ease of access for families coming in to easily identify the items they need and to collect them quickly and easily.

Church leader Major Stephen Slade said: “It’s been a real privilege to be able to work with Emtras and the South Tyneside Council of Churches who’ve undertaken the mammoth task of collecting and preparing to distribute the brand new and preloved school uniform donations.

For a number of families on tight budgets, particularly those with more than one child, returning to school in September can be a costly exercise. The Salvation Army has a history of providing practical assistance and compassionate support in every community and I’m pleased that we’ve been able to collaborate on this project and provide some small support to those most in need.”

Emtras’s Martine Horner said: “The community has been really generous and we’ve managed to collect lots of universal uniforms for girls and for boys, as well as bespoke uniforms for particular schools within South Tyneside. There’s also been an exchange with ourselves and Hebburn Helps to share uniforms for Jarrow and Hebburn and vice versa. It’s been a real team effort across South Tyneside from the community, the council of churches and other organisations –we’re really pleased we will be able to support more than 50 families as a result.”