Now that pupils are back at school it’s time for us to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who supported our Kit Out A Kid appeal this summer and gave us encouragement in other ways. They say that “it takes a village to raise a child” and we know that our community pulls together to give children and young people the best chances in life.

We continue to be busy providing Clothing Crisis Packs to families and keeping our network of in-house uniform banks in schools topped up. We now support 18 schools with new uniform, footwear and essentials on-site so that children can get what they need straight away without any fuss or stigma.

Our staff team has grown to three and our team of volunteers continues to work hard to sort donations, pack bags and deliver essentials all over the city.

A support worker recently told us “The family advised that the young person hated to feel different from their peers, when they felt different it often led to dysregulated behaviour and difficult peer relationships. Starting the new term looking like the rest of the class meant setting the young person up to thrive rather than fail”

As the leaves start to turn, please watch this space for details of how you can help us to supply Winter Warmers to children and young people through the autumn and winter.

Some of our wonderful staff, trustees and volunteers raised funds for our work at the Kiltwalk.

Raise funds for free!
Sign up to Easyfundraising and when you shop online with your favourite brands, they donate to us. It’s free and your shopping won’t cost you any extra – the brands you shop with donate, not you!

As we head into the summer holidays, many local families are facing the overwhelming worry of how to provide their children with basic essentials—and school clothing is an added financial burden. 

A proper set of uniform is so much more than just clothes; it can be the difference between a child attending and engaging in school, or staying away entirely. Your support ensures that local children and young people can attend school feeling confident and fitting in with their peers. 

We are now officially launching this year’s Kit Out A Kid appeal, and there are a few ways you can get involved today: 

• Visit Give Today where we have a list of most needed items you can purchase. Unisex white polo shirts, black joggers, and black leggings, all age 5 and upwards are always needed. Any items purchased via Give Today will be sent directly to us.
• Donate funds and we will do the shopping for you (please ask us for our bank details if you would prefer to donate directly).

Thank you so much for your continued kindness and support.

We’re excited to be hiring a part‑time Operations Assistant (20 hours) to join our team. This role involves purchasing and sorting uniform, maintaining stock, and delivering items across the city. You’ll be part of a small, busy team based in the Gyle area, and you’ll need access to your own vehicle. Find out more here.

“I hate all those weathermen who tell you that rain is bad weather. There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing…” – Billy Connolly.

Thousands of families across Edinburgh are experiencing destitution, which means they are going without essentials such as clothing, food, shelter, heat, light, and toiletries.

As a result, there are a lot of local children who don’t have the right clothing for an Edinburgh winter. Many do not have a dry change of clothing after a wet walk home from school.

We’re appealing to those living or working in Edinburgh to donate funds or purchase clothing from our wish list to allow us to provide the right clothing to children who need it most. Items purchased from our wish list will be sent directly to us to distribute to children who need it most.

Our Winter Warmers campaign provides proper coats with hoods, gloves, socks, thick leggings and warm joggers to school children in the greatest need in Edinburgh.

A donation of £65 could provide a Winter Warmers bundle for a local child this winter.

Please donate funds or shop our wish list today, or contact us to find out more.

We’re delighted to announce that we have been awarded multi-year funding from the Bank of Scotland Foundation as part of their Energise programme. As we receive no council or government funding, we rely on support from every part of our community – individuals, companies, local clubs & groups, workplace teams, faith groups, schools and of course the funding bodies who help us keep the lights on. Thank you Bank of Scotland Foundation!

Kit Out a Kid – Summer 2025 is HERE!

Let’s make sure every child in Edinburgh starts the school year with confidence and dignity. Many families struggle to provide their children with basic essentials, and school clothing is an added worry during the summer holidays.

In 2024, your generosity helped us kit out thousands of local kids. The need is ever present — and we’re counting on you to help us do it again.

Donate uniform items via our shopping partner, Give Today. https://givetoday.co.uk/edinburghschooluniformbank/

Donate funds and we will do the shopping for you. https://edinburghuniform.org/donate/

Spread the word – every share helps!

Ready to make a difference?

Together, we can make a real difference. Let’s show Edinburgh’s young people that their community has their back.

We are delighted with the City of Edinburgh Council’s decision to adopt government guidance around school uniforms. Schools will still have their own colours which foster a sense of belonging, but embroidered items will no longer be compulsory, encouraged or promoted by schools. This will bring the cost of the school day down and remove some of the barriers to attendance and inclusion that are so important for children and young people.

We’re over the moon to receive the King’s Award for Voluntary Service, the equivalent of an MBE. Our volunteers work so hard to give local children the best chances in life, and we are delighted that their outstanding contribution has been recognised. Find out more about the award at https://kavs.dcms.gov.uk/  

We’re hiring! Are you an experienced manager who cares about children’s inclusion, wellbeing and education? Do you have a flair for stakeholder engagement, impact evaluation, project management and communication? Find out more at https://tinyurl.com/5x2vtady 

• Pupils’ comfort, happiness and freedom to learn and play should be at the centre of considerations about school uniform and clothing, alongside a focus on removing barriers to participation in school education. 
• Branded items of uniform and blazers should not be compulsory, nor promoted or encouraged by schools. 
• Schools should avoid including items that need frequent washing or are difficult to wash or dry, and
• promote and support arrangements for families to access pre-loved clothing, and
• consider the availability of non-standard sizes of uniform, clothing and footwear included within their policies to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their age or build, are able to access comfortable and practical clothing and footwear at a reasonable cost.