Senedd praise for Brecon’s community swap shop

Tindle News

The Brecon Community Swap Shop has received praise in the Senedd for its efforts in tackling the rising cost of school uniforms. The initiative, which provides families with free access to donated school clothes and essential items, was highlighted by Joyce Watson, MS for Mid and West Wales, during a discussion on support for families with school costs. Video from Senedd.tv

Transcript

00:00argument in the way that you've put forward there.

00:04Question 3óJoyce Watson.

00:05Joyce Watson AM Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update

00:09on what the Welsh Government is doing to help families with school costs?

00:12Lesley Griffiths AM Our school essentials grant has made a huge

00:15difference to lower-income families, reducing worries about uniform and equipment.

00:21Funding of £13.1 million is available for the grant this year.

00:26We also make available resources for schools to address the cost of the school day and

00:31remove barriers caused by poverty.

00:33Joyce Watson AM The school essentials grant has provided,

00:36as you say, invaluable help with school costs to many families, particularly those on low

00:42incomes.

00:43And up to £200 is available to families eligible to help with things, for example, like school

00:49uniforms.

00:51But as well as that, I'm aware of a number of schools that have set up initiatives that

00:55aim to both keep the cost of uniform down and also prevent uniforms ending up in landfill.

01:03In these schemes, uniforms are donated and then given to families who want them for free.

01:09I was lucky to see a real excellent example of this for myself in Priory Church in Wales

01:15school in Brecon, and the swap shop was set up by Councillor Matthew Dorrance and town

01:21councillor Mikella Davies, working with the Labour action team.

01:26But thanks to funding from the Green Man Trust, they now have a permanent site at that school

01:32instead of trying to access the use of halls, et cetera.

01:38Cabinet Secretary, could you join me in urging families to check their eligibility for the

01:45school essentials grant and in thanking schools and individuals for setting up initiatives

01:52that help families with reducing the cost for school uniforms?

01:56Lesley Griffiths AM Thank you very much, Joyce, and can I commend

02:01Councillor Matthew Dorrance and councillor Mikella Davies for the work that they've done

02:07on the swap shop in Brecon?

02:10These are really important initiatives.

02:12Obviously, the school essentials grant is a big help to families, but we also encourage

02:18schools to encourage recycling schemes as well.

02:24You'll probably be aware that we revised our statutory guidance for governing bodies on

02:29school uniform and appearance policies back in May 2023, and changes to the guidance,

02:36as well as including covering things about not having compulsory branded school uniform,

02:42also covers the issue of encouraging uniform recycling schemes to be established and avoiding

02:49single supplier arrangements, which can also reduce costs for families.

02:55It is absolutely vital that we reduce the cost of the school day, because we know that

03:00stigma of poverty doesn't just have an impact on attainment.

03:05It can affect things like attendance, and it's something that we all need to work together

03:11to tackle.

03:12So, I'm very happy to thank the organisations that are doing the good work that you've highlighted.

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