Charity joy as uniform drive gets a windfall

A group of volunteers who aim to help people in need have been given a financial boost.

Scottish Friendly, Scotland’s largest financial mutual, has given Renfrewshire Helping Those in Need a donation as part of its Back to School charity initiative.

Renfrewshire Helping Those in Need was set up last September to help people and families facing hardship and poverty.

This year they appealed for people to donate old school uniforms ahead of the new term starting and were inundated with donations.

One of the founders, Jade Macdonald, said: “We have had an amazing amount of donations coming in to us through our many drop off points and we couldn’t be prouder of our community for rallying around and helping other families who are the feeling the pinch.”

The support from Scottish Friendly will enable the charity to reach more children across the county and increase the supply of new uniforms, school bags and other essential equipment.

Scottish Friendly’s ‘ Back to School’ campaign will also include support for the South Ayrshire School Clothing Bank and the Morecambe Bay Foodbank in Lancashire, which runs ‘ The Uniform Project’ for local children.

Scottish Friendly has a long-tradition of supporting school children across Scotland through numerous charity initiatives.

The Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour, which is organised by national charity The Scottish Book Trust, has been running for the past 20 years and encourages a love for reading, writing and illustration.