Founder heartbroken at temporary closure of clothing bank

Dundee: Lack of funds has forced operations to cease

A Dundee children’s clothing bank has had to temporarily suspend its operations after running out of funds, leaving its founder devastated.

Togs for Tots, which provides clothing and equipment for families and community groups, closed this week after struggling to keep up with demand and costs.

After a record number of referrals over Christmas, founder Jordan Butler, who started the effort in 2015, says the organisation has now come to a point where it cannot continue without attaining charity status.

It will not be accepting physical donations until its application to the Scottish Charity Regulator is accepted, opening up greater funding avenues.

Fighting back tears, Jordan, 36, said: “It’s really sad that we have to say no to donations for the moment. Everybody wants to help but really, before we get charitable status, we just can’t accept anything.

“Overall, it’s a struggle with finances. The building is costing us money and we just need to take a breath and get everything in order. When it was first started, I don’t think I realised how much it was needed.”

Jordan’s team of 13 volunteers work out of a warehouse on North Lindsay Street which has no heating and a number of plumbing difficulties.

In December alone, the organisation received 56 referrals helping provide warm clothing to at least 92 children, pregnant women, premature babies, refugees, teenagers and people awaiting benefits due to Universal Credit.

The mother-of-two, who runs the nonprofit organisation full-time, added: “We just don’t have the funds to pay the basics, like electricity and rates, never mind the bigger jobs.

“While we don’t have those basics, we cannot possibly take on new volunteers, but nor can we ask our current volunteers to continue in such conditions, although they want to.

“But although the service has stopped, we have not stopped.

“As a team, we will be meeting every week to discuss processes and what we can do better and working on plans to get the funding we sorely need.

“We are confident that the charitable status will come through and we will be able to start helping people again soon.”

To donate funds to Togs for Tots, visit their website at togsfortotsdundee.org/ donate.

jkeith@thecourier.co.uk

Picture: Alan Richardson. Liz Holden and Donna Tambini sort through donated baby ware.

Jordan Butler, who founded Togs for Tots, hopes to gain charitable status for the vital service.