Penallta Reuse Shop joins forces with local project to offer free school uniforms

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Penallta Reuse Shop has joined forces with local project Caerphilly Uniform Exchange to offer pre-loved school uniforms to Caerphilly County Borough Council residents free of charge.

Penallta Reuse Shop officially opened in October 2022 as a facility aimed as diverting fit-for-use items from Household Recycling Centres and getting them into the hands of those who need them most, at bargain prices.

The Reuse Shop has been launched in partnership with South Wales based charity, Wastesavers and all profits are divided equally between Wastesavers charity and CCBC Mayor’s Charity.

Since opening, the shop has expanded its services to include additional community enterprises, including their latest partnership with Caerphilly Uniform Exchange.

Caerphilly Uniform Exchange is a local project aimed at reducing waste and saving families money through the recycling of school uniforms, prom wear and sports kits.

Caerphilly Uniform Exchange has uniforms rails in locations throughout the borough, offering school uniforms for a wide variety of schools. This partnership ensures that both Penallta Reuse Shop and Caerphilly Uniform Exchange have uniforms available for the schools in their respective areas.

Uniforms are available completely free of charge on a first come first serve basis, subject to availability.

Councillor Chris Morgan, Cabinet Member for Waste, Leisure & Green spaces said: “We opened Penallta Reuse Shop in October 2022, in partnership with Wastesavers, as our next steps in our journey to becoming a carbon neutral authority, but also because of the social and economic benefits that reuse has on a community.

“We know that the start of a new school year, and the associated costs can be daunting for many parents, and so we hope that this partnership will help as many parents and residents as possible.”

Nicola Rossiter Reuse, Wastesavers’ Operations Manager said: “It’s wonderful to be able to help the local families like this, my little one starts school this year, so I know first-hand how many items are needed and how quickly kids grow! The beauty of the Penallta Reuse Shop is that it really allows us to react to what is needed by the community and divert from landfill at the same time.”

Lisa Watkins, Managing Director at Caerphilly Uniform Exchange adds: “We are so pleased to be working in partnership with Penallta reuse shop to provide school uniform more widely across the borough. The current cost of living crisis is having an impact on local families, and we hope that we can ease the financial burden when it comes to sourcing school uniform.”

For more information, to shop or donate visit: https://www.caerphilly.gov.uk/services/household-waste-and-recycling/recycle-and-reduce-waste/penallta-reuse-shop or follow Penallta Reuse Shop and Caerphilly Uniform Exchange on Facebook.