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School Uniform

We want every child to feel comfortable and happy at school, and wear their uniform with pride and self-confidence.

The financial pressure of providing school uniform places a huge burden and stress on families and can often lead to ill-fitting, worn, unclean or incorrect uniform. Bullying, isolation, or even exclusion can result from wearing the wrong uniform, negatively impacting children’s mental health.

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The Child Poverty Action Group estimates that average annual uniform costs can be around £352 for a primary school child and £481 for a secondary school child

Despite Bromley’s reputation as an affluent borough, financial hardship remains a reality for many local families. Latest government figures show that almost 10,000 children under 16 in Bromley are living in relative low-income families after housing costs (DWP March 2026)

A report published by Centre for Young Lives in 2024 revealed troubling stories of children sharing shoes, missing school because they can’t afford PE kits and poverty being the driver for absence in the education system

WHAT WE DO

At Bromley Brighter Beginnings we recognise that having correct, smart, and well-fitting school uniform plays an important role in children’s wellbeing. We aim to ensure children are properly kitted out for school and give families the sense of pride and dignity they deserve.

We have been providing families across the borough with both pre-loved and new school uniform for the last ten years. In 2025 we received 243 referrals for school uniform and we expect that number to increase in 2026.

We aim to provide children with:

  • Shorts, trousers, dresses or skirts
  • Polo tops or shirts
  • School blazer, cardigans or jumpers
  • PE kit
  • New school shoes – voucher
  • Socks or tights
  • Tie

How you can help?

Clothing Donations

We would love your donations of both pre-loved and new generic uniform for primary school children – ages from 4 to 13 years.

We cannot accept any school logo branded or secondary uniform due to the sheer amount of school logos across the borough.

All pre-loved donations must be in excellent, like-new condition. We want these children to feel proud as they start a new school year. Our rule of thumb: If you would give it as a gift to your best friend’s child then it’s in good enough condition for us!

Please only donate items on the School Uniform Wishlist to ensure we have stock of the items we need most.

School Uniform Wishlist

We will gratefully receive donations of the following items:

School Uniform Clothing

Non-logo primary uniform ages 4-13

NEW ONLY age 4-13 (unless otherwise stated)

  • White short sleeve shirts (boys and girls)
  • White polo tops – Unisex
  • White plain T-shirt
  • Socks/tights – grey, white, black 

NEW OR PRELOVED age 4-13 (unless otherwise stated)

  • V neck jumpers (red, green, blue, navy, grey)
  • Sweater jumper (red, green, blue, navy, black, grey)
  • Cardigan (red, green, blue, navy, grey)
  • Unisex PE shorts (black or navy) –  no girls cycling shorts please
  • Unisex jogging bottoms (black or navy)
  • Grey trousers – boys only – standard fit – age 6-13
  • Grey skirts

Additional requests for pre-loved clothing will be communicated via our Facebook group throughout the campaign. 

Items we are NOT in need of:

  • Grey shorts
  • Grey pinafores
  • School coats
  • Black trousers
  • Black shorts
  • Black skirts
  • Stationery, bags, water bottles or lunchboxes

Local Giving Donations

If you’d like to make a monetary donation for School Uniform you can do so via Local Giving – School Uniform. This enables us to purchase school logo branded and secondary school uniform which is bought new.

Want to become a regular supporter? You can set up your monthly donation here.

Donation Locations

For details of drop-off locations throughout the borough, please contact jenny@bromleybrighterbeginnings.org.uk

If you’d like to host a donation collection point get in touch so we can let you know most needed items and provide a poster. 

Donation Guidelines

  • Contact your closest volunteer for drop-off location (see table of contacts). 
  • Please always contact volunteer before dropping off donations.
  • Donations must be dropped between 9am – 6pm.
  • Please only drop off items which are included on the School Uniform Wishlist.
  • All donations must be clean and have no stains/marks, pulls, bobbles or holes.
  • Please be aware that there may be times when volunteers are unavailable.
  • If you do not get a reply from the volunteer contact jenny@bromleybrighterbeginnings.org.uk for an alternative drop-off location.

Deliver Direct

Alternatively you can order new items directly to BBB using this address:

Bromley Brighter Beginnings, Safe Store, Mentmore House, Cray Avenue, Orpington, BR5 3QT

Please note this is a shared storage facility so please include ‘Bromley Brighter Beginnings’ so we will receive these items.

For large deliveries please also contact jenny@bromleybrighterbeginnings.org.uk so we confirm delivery. 

We are so grateful for any support you can offer. It will allow us to help as many young people as we can to access appropriate school uniform and make them feel great about going back to school.

Other ways you can help

Fundraising

  • Nominate BBB as your charity of the year at your child’s school.
  • Run school fundraising events such as non school uniform day or design your own uniform competition.

  • Run your own fundraising event such as a coffee morning or bake sale.
  • Choose BBB as your selected charity on your next run or bike race.
  • Share our corporate leaflet with businesses who are looking to get involved in the community.

     

Share our mission

Sharing our mission is vital to our success. Especially if a financial contribution is not possible for you, you can still help raise awareness and it costs nothing! 

  • Save like and share our social media posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
  • Share our leaflet with your local community – be it family, friends, neighbours, school groups, sports groups, local businesses – share away and ask them to share it too. Let’s spread the word throughout Bromley and beyond. Download the pdf below:

 

The difference you make!

Need our support?

School uniform requests must come via a referral: this could be any community professional supporting a family e.g. social workers, health visitors, teachers, refuge workers and charity professionals. We cannot accept self referrals. Professionals can register as a referrer here.

To find out more use these links: Referrals and School Uniform Referral Form.

“A massive thank you to everyone who has helped turn around every single bit of uniform and equipment, at very short notice, for the boy who is starting at Coopers on Weds. I delivered about 90% of it tonight and the mum broke down and sobbed in her hallway. I cannot imagine the amount of stress she has been under, knowing that she may not have been able to send her son to school. So thank you, thank you, thank you for relieving that stress.”

Bromley Brighter Beginnings, Family Liaison Volunteer