Parents of children eligible for free school meals are being encouraged to access the Harpur Trust’s annual School Uniform Scheme.
Parents in Bedford Borough whose children are moving up to secondary school can receive £50 towards the cost of a uniform, but many eligible families missed out last year.
The scheme is part of the wider efforts of The Harpur Trust to support the local community and help all children to thrive and realise their potential.
The Trust gives over £1.2m each year in grants to charities and community groups that run projects to help improve the lives of others.
Lucy Bardner, Community Programmes Director, said: “Starting secondary school is an exciting milestone, but we understand that it can also be a challenging time for families facing additional expenses.
“We help hundreds of low-income families each year in Bedford Borough with the cost of school uniform to help them prepare for secondary education.
“By alleviating some of the school uniform expense, we hope to ease the transition for families and ensure that every child feels a sense of belonging and pride as they step into their new school environment..
“Last year we had a large number of families eligible to take up the scheme that didn’t, which is hard to understand in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
“So, to make the scheme as accessible as possible to the families who need the support, we’re issuing schools with information leaflets in a variety of community languages.
“The secondary school the child is due to attend will contact eligible families, but if you qualify and you haven’t heard anything as the summer holidays approach, we suggest you reach out to the secondary school reception and ask for details.”
The Trust also helps students from low-income families with university bursaries and is a founding partner of Bedford Giving, hosting the movement which has been set up to create a brighter future for children and young people in the Borough.
You can find out more about the School Uniform Support Scheme at harpurtrust.org.uk/school-uniform-scheme
