Nicola’s uniform success

Staff at a Sunderland callcentre have helped dozens of children prepare to return to their classrooms.

Kind-hearted energy employees at EDF Energy’s offices on the Doxford International Business Park have been helping youngsters get ready for the new academic year by supporting a local charity which helps families escaping from abuse.

Nicola Robinson, from Sunderland is a team manager at the company’s Doxford customer service centre and has organised a special collection of school uniforms from her colleagues .

All the uniforms handed in have been passed on to domestic violence refuge charity Wearside Women in Need and given to youngsters in the charity’s shelters across Sunderland.

With many parents and guardians struggling to meet the cost of renewing uniforms over the summer, Nicola spotted an opportunity to collect unwanted clothes, so she could pass them on to families who needed them.

She managed to collect hundreds of items including blazers, shirts and trousers, which were passed on to the charity in time for the new school term earlier this month.

Wearside Women In Need offers refuge, advice and support to women and children suffering from domestic violence as well providing safe accommodation for homeless young women.

Nicol, who is a long-term supporter of the charity, said: “I feel for anyone who’s had to flee their home and leave everything due to domestic violence.

“School uniforms are costly and when you’ve left home with very little, they aren’t always financially feasible.

“Children in this situation don’t deserve to be penalised for not having a uniform when they’re already going through so much.

“It makes sense that unwanted uniforms are passedon and reused instead of disposed of, so that the children can continue at school comfortably and their carer has one less thing to worry about”

The collection is only the latest scheme Nicola has come up with to support Wearside Women in Need.

Over the past five years at EDF Energy,she has raised funds and collect goods.

This year as well as the school uniform collection she has donated a number of Easter eggs and hampers and will collect and send gifts at Christmas.