Hundreds of children in one of England’s most deprived areas are being supported by the Salvation Army with school uniforms, shoes and coats.
The Every Child Warm initiative is supporting families who are struggling with poverty and preparing students for the new school year in Gateshead.
More than 260 children are expected to visit the church and community centre in Sunderland Row on Monday and Tuesday, picking out the new clothes, school supplies and books as well as taking part in activities.
Items have been donated by members of the public, the Salvation Army’s trading arm and local businesses. Gateshead Council was providing activities; corporate support, including from the team at the local Tesco supermarket, has helped with logistics and paying for transport fares so families can attend.
Ann Humes MBE, who began the project eight years ago, told Premier Christian News about how children’s self-esteem is boosted by being able to arrive at school with good-quality shoes and uniform.
She said: “We like to make it an experience, not a handout. All the families are pre-registered with the organisations we work with, and those within our own community. We have a personal shopper who meets the family and helps them to find things. Sometimes they negotiate; when mum says ‘you can’t have that coat’, we say ‘oh, she looks lovely in that.’
The Salvation Army has also received a donation of more than 500 books from the Kittiwake Trust. Humes said that it was a “joy to see the children going home with something else to do during the holidays”.
Captain Tony Kakande told Premier that it was a way for them to show God’s love to their community and invite them to church.
He shared about one family who had “walked for an hour in the rain to come and get support”, but they were “so moved by the support the church had given them that they came back and became part of the church”.
While the government has introduced a three-item limit on the number of branded items schools can require, Captain Kakande warned that this was still a high cost for families.
Some of the church congregation and members of the public had bought additional uniform items to donate. One member purchased new backpacks, wanting to give back, having been through challenging circumstances herself.