Hard up parents in the north-east are to turn to a school uniform ‘bank’ to clothe their children in what is believed to be the first scheme of its kind in Scotland.
A Fraserburgh church is offering second-hand school uniforms for free as concerns grow about the levels of poverty faced by some north-east families.
The Assembly of God (AOG) Central Church has launched the programme to help support struggling parents ahead of the new academic year.
Items donated by families who no longer need them will be distributed to other children for free.
The move by AOG has been praised for the innovative community project, but it is also been used as an indicator of the levels of deprivation being felt by some households.
Major Caroline Buchanan, of the The Salvation Army, which already runs a food bank in Fraserburgh, said many locals were struggling.
She said: “There are a lot of families who are poor round about and there is a need for help. We operate the food banks and we’ve started a drop-in on a Wednesday.”
Major Buchanan said the majority of people she sees at the Salvation Army food banks are people struggling to overcome problems with alcohol and drugs, but that families also visited.
She added: “We’re seeing a lot more than before. We do get families in as well.”
Local councillor and former school teacher Charles Buchan said the school uniform bank was an unfortunate sign of the times.
He added: : “Some people are facing very difficult decisions, they have to make choices all down the line. It’s difficult if you’ve got a comfortable income to actually empathise with the sort of decisions some people in Fraserburgh have to make.”
Mr Buchan, a member of the local authority’s education committee, said that the cost of school uniforms has “always been a bit of a problem” when incomes are low.
He added: “If you’re confronted with paying the rent or buying school uniform, I hope paying the rent will win. I actually support the Assembly of God here.”
The uniform bank will be open to members of the public from June 15 between 9.30am-4.30pm.
Any items for donation can be handed into the church’s Queens Road base.
Church administrator Alison West, who is overseeing the scheme, said: “This time of year can be quite expensive for parents who have children of school age.
“Kids often need new uniforms, shoes, bags and kits in time for school resuming after the summer holidays and the cost can soon mount up.
“However many of us also have perfectly good, wearable items of clothing ready to throw out simply because they don’t fit any more – we thought we’d create an opportunity for these resources to be pooled and put to good use.”