With just over a month to go until the end of the school year, parents will soon be thinking about new uniforms for their children.
Rising prices and the cost of living crisis mean that many parents will be worried about the cost of kitting out their children ready for September.
To help out Torfaen Council has set up two ‘shop and swap’ events. As well as good quality, pre-loved uniforms, there will be PE kits, coats, bags, shoes and stationery, all free of charge.
Parents are encouraged to bring along items their children have grown out of to swap for larger sizes.
The two events take place on:
- Wednesday 16 August, 11am – 2pm, at Pontypool Indoor Market.
- Tuesday 22 August, 11am – 2pm at the Congress Theatre, Cwmbran
Donate your uniforms
If you would like to donate items to the school shop, please take them to the following locations:
- Circulate, Blaenavon Unit 14, Gilchrist Thomas Industrial Estate, Blaenavon, Pontypool NP4 9RL – Monday – Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am – 4:30pm
- Citizens Advice, Portland Buildings, Commercial Street, Pontypool – Monday – Friday 08:30 – 4:30pm
- Costar Shop, Shops, 2 Fairwater Cl, Fairwater, Cwmbran NP44 4TA – Monday – Thursday 10am – 3pm, Friday 09:30 – 1:30pm
- Eastern Valley Foodbank, Unit 5, Pavillion Industrial Estate, Pontnewynydd, NP4 6NF – Wednesday and Friday 9am to 1pm
- Garnsychan Partnership, 55 Stanley Rd, Garndiffaith, Abersychan, Pontypool NP4 7LH – Monday – Thursday 9am – 4:30pm and Friday 9am -4pm
- Hill City Church, Freeholdland Road, Pontnewynydd – Mondays 6-7pm and Wednesdays 1-3pm
- Panteg House, Greenhill Rd, Griffithstown, Pontypool NP4 5BE – 10am – 2pm
- Tasty not Wasty, Llanyravon Church, NP44 8RA – Tuesday to Saturday – 10:00am – 11:30am
- Thornhill Community Centre Leadon Ct, Thornhill, Cwmbran NP44 5TZ – Monday – Friday 1200 -3pm
- TRAC2, Trevethin Shops Shop 2, Church Ave, Trevethin, Pontypool NP4 8DH – Monday to Friday – 9am – 4pm
All donations need to be in good, clean condition and must be delivered to a drop-off point by Monday 24 July.
Torfaen Council’s executive member for communities, Councillor Fiona Cross, said: “We know it can be a real struggle to cover the cost of uniform, especially with the increased cost in general living, so we hope that this event will help alleviate some of the pressures on household finances, in readiness for the new school year.
“A number of schools already organise similar events at this time of year, or have ongoing donate and take schemes. This swap and shop event will be the last opportunity to get school uniform, for free, at two locations across Torfaen.
“As part of the council’s commitment to carbon reduction, this event also presents a great opportunity to reuse items, especially with the way children can grow out of them so quickly. Reusing items is a great way of helping to tackle climate change because it reduces the amount of water and carbon produced to make and transport new clothes, and reduces the amount of clothing that ends up in landfill.”
There will be a number of agencies present on the day, including Building Resilient Communities and Torfaen Citizens Advice, who will be offering financial, employment and wellbeing advice and support.
More information
For more information about the Nifty Thrifty School Shop, please contact the Building Resilient Communities team on 07951 822017.
Photo credit
Photo by ROBIN WORRALL on Unsplash