Hednesford Preloved Uniform Market free to 21 August

Families with children who live in or attend school in the Cannock Chase area can collect free school uniform items in Hednesford until Friday 21 August. The Preloved Uniform Market is being held at The Salvation Army, 7 Anglesey Street, with the first public session running from 5pm to 7pm on Wednesday 19 August.

The market is intended to ease back-to-school costs by giving preloved uniform directly to eligible local families. Staffordshire County Council said plenty of clothing remained available as the final three sessions began.

Three remaining sessions in Hednesford

The opening hours give families an evening session on Wednesday, a longer daytime window on Thursday and a final two-hour opportunity on Friday morning.

All items are free. Eligibility covers children who either live in Cannock Chase or attend a school within the area.

Uniform available for schools across Cannock Chase

Organisers reported large quantities of uniform for Kingsmead, Gorsemoor, Cheslyn Hay, Five Ways and Staffordshire University Academy. Items were also available for St Luke’s, Longford, St Joseph’s, Cannock Chase High School, Pye Green, St Peter’s and Littleton Green.

Those named schools are not the limit of the available stock. The council’s event notice says the market also holds uniforms for many other local schools, so families whose school is not listed may still find suitable items at the venue.

The practical offer is clothing rather than financial assistance: families attend the community market and select from the donated preloved uniform available. No price applies to the items distributed through the project.

Seven years of help with back-to-school costs

The Preloved Uniform Market is delivered by The Salvation Army Church and Staffordshire Libraries, with support from Tesco and Morrisons and help from community volunteers. The partnership project began in 2019 and is now in its seventh year.

Since its launch, more than 2,400 children have received uniform items through the scheme. The council estimates that the clothing distributed has saved Cannock Chase families approximately £120,000 in total.

Hayley Coles, Staffordshire County Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities and Culture, visited the market and encouraged families who could benefit to attend before it closes. David Cox of The Salvation Army Church described the initiative as a partnership between the church, libraries, businesses and volunteers.

What families should check before attending

The source does not provide separate booking instructions, transport guidance or accessibility information. Families seeking clarification before travelling can contact the organisers directly by emailing [email protected] or [email protected].

The final opportunity to obtain uniform is from 10am until noon on Friday 21 August at The Salvation Army, 7 Anglesey Street, Hednesford.

Source: Staffordshire County Council Newsroom