Emily Moore
A FORMER nurse is now providing a caring role of a different kind by helping those who struggle to afford their own clothes.
Elderslie woman Alison Hastings was working in healthcare when she noticed a desperate need for an organisation to redistribute clothes to cashstrapped families.
That led to a charity called Clothed in Love starting out in her spare bedroom.
Alison, 70, encouraged others to donate clothes and stockpiled these until her room was bursting at the seams.
She said: “I started in 2020 and it was just an idea. Being part of Mossvale Community Church, I was thinking about what I could do within the community.
“I spoke to a couple of health visitors who said they didn’t have space for clothes, so I started collecting them in the corner of my spare room and then the bags got so much they began to meet me at the door.”
The Paisley-based project now runs with six volunteers, including Alison’s daughter Sara, with clothes being donated by those who attend the church, as well as other members of the public.
After also receiving cash donations, including from Paisley singer Paolo Nutini, who handed over £10,000, Clothed in Love has been able to deal with more than 500 referrals.
It now caters for all children of primary school age.
The church provided initial funding for the charity, which was able to secure a storage facility to store, catalogue and redistribute the clothes.
Clothed in Love now works collaboratively with a variety of helpers, including health visitors, midwives and nurseries.
It also helps refugees who have moved to the local area, such as those fleeing war-torn Ukraine.
Those in need can also contact the charity directly, with Alison and her fellow volunteers dropping off items to families who are unable to collect them.
After retiring from her nursing role in September, Alison now dedicates her free time to her charity and compares it to working a full-time job.
She said: “It’s very much dedication and a lot of commitment because you’ve got to balance your home life as well.”
The charity’s ambition now is to secure more storage space and consistent funding so it can expand its reach.
In the last six months, it has been supported by Renfrewshire
Council, Beat the Street, professional singer Kirsty Duncan and Renfrewshire Chamber of Commerce.
The charity also received backing from Renfrewshire Provost Lorraine Cameron, who chose it as one of the worthy causes she is supporting during her term in office.
Alison said that, previously, Clothed in Love was existing from month to month but now has some security for the immediate future.
She added: “We’ve looked into a few different storage places but they’re all so expensive.
“So far, funding has just come along right on time but having the money for a storage unit permanently would give us the security to start buying clothes or toys and accessories and allow us to do more.
“It’s our dream to have our own place and at a minimum cost, so we don’t have to have that pressure of applying for funding all the time.”
For more information, including ways in which to support the charity, visit www.facebook. com/donatekidsclothes or send an email to hello@clothedinlove.co.uk.