Second-hand school uniform support for Telford families

Simon Lellow, from Telford Crisis Support, said the uniform bank was an all-year-round service

Families in need have been urged to use a second-hand school uniform service during the cost of living crisis.

Telford Crisis Support operates a school uniform bank from the old Fruit of the Loom factory in Halesfield.

The charity said it had supported 1,300 families with about 8,000 pieces of clothing last year.

Simon Lellow, operations manager, said the bank was for those who "needed that extra bit of help" with obtaining or replacing school uniform.

He told BBC Radio Shropshire the all-year-round service offered an option to obtain some "good quality, pre-loved" items, which would help to ease the financial burden.

"Also, it's a great environmental benefit as well, it saves a lot of items going to landfill and makes sure that we're all doing our bit to help locally with the environment as well at the same time," he added.

School uniform at the bank is colour-coded, labelled and clearly marked to enable items to be found quickly, he said.

Clothing donations at the bank are colour-coded and labelled to enable items to be found quickly

"We can't always help with every single item, but if we've got it, we give it," Mr Lellow said.

Councillor Raj Mehta, from Telford and Wrekin Council, said people could donate clothing which would be given to families who had been struggling to buy uniforms.

"The donations that are coming in, there's a variety of uniforms that have been given out to every school, every child that needs it," he explained.

"And every parent or family that is struggling can come up to Telford Crisis Support and collect uniform."