A uniform swap shop has opened up in the Lanes in Carlisle to help families afford new uniforms ahead of the start of term.

Community group, Carlisle Matters, purchased a large number of school uniform items from ASDA and has been collecting second-hand uniform throughout the year in order to give them out for free to families.

Running all this week until Friday afternoon, the shop has proved a big hit with families and organiser, Helen Fisher said that the reaction had been ‘amazing’.

“Asda offered us heavily discounted, brand new school uniform items for us, and we purchased a lot of them at like rock-bottom prices,” said Helen.

“Then the Lanes said to us ‘what do you think about having a pop up shop and doing a school uniform swap’ because one of them had seen it in another part of the country which we accepted.

“So they offered us prime location in the old Clarks store which is a really great location for us/

“90 per cent of the stock is brand new and then we're relying on people bringing in things to swap, donating second hand school items, all the branded items, which cost a fortune.”

Uniform swap shops like this have become widespread in town and city centres over the past five years and Helen feels that the rise in the cost-of-living since the pandemic has contributed to the rise.

“Everybody is feeling the pinch at the moment and school uniforms are just another one of those pressures,” said Helen.

“The cost of uniforms is ridiculous. They put so much pressure on families which has a negative impact on their mental health and wellbeing.

“People are still feeling the cost-of-living and with winter fuel prices coming round again people are under so much pressure.

“But a shop like this helps with that community cohesion. It builds stronger and better-connected communities because people are coming together and mucking in.

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“There are some people are coming and dropping off uniforms when they don't need anything back.

“Their kids have even left school, but they're bringing uniforms that they just want to support.

“They don't need anything from us, but they want to help us and it does really build that sense of community.”

Carlisle Matters are hoping to make the uniform swap shop into an annual event and are encouraging anybody that would like to come to the shop before Friday afternoon to do so. Anybody wishing to donate can visit their local community centres with their second hand uniform.