We really need your outgrown coats!
Clear out your cupboards and donate pre-loved coats to ESUB. We work with a number of community spaces around the city offering free to access rails of coats and warm clothing. The need is greater than ever.
We are looking for all child and adult sizes to keep up with demand from our community partners.
Information about our drop off points can be found here:
New national guidance which aims to reduce the cost of school uniforms for families has been published.
Following consultation with schools, families, uniform suppliers, pupils and councils, the new guidance also sets out key considerations to ensure pupil comfort, freedom and happiness.
The guidance, which can be used to form individual school uniform policies, includes advice on encouraging schools to adopt measures that limit costs for families and reduce waste, including limiting the number of items that pupils need and promoting items that can be reused more easily.
The Education Secretary launched the guidance during a visit to Camperdown Primary School in Dundee where she learned about work by pupils to develop a cost of the school day action plan.
Ms Gilruth said: “Every child in Scotland should be able to attend school feeling comfortable, confident, and ready to learn. However, we know the cost can be a significant burden for families and we want to support schools to minimise these costs.
“This new national guidance contains measures for schools to develop and implement their own affordable and sustainable policies that recognise the individual needs of all pupils.
“It makes clear that schools are expected to do all they can to limit school clothing costs for families as part of our wider aim to reduce the cost of the school day. The guidance also encourages schools to develop flexible and inclusive policies which promote generic items of clothing and do not include compulsory branded items, supporting our efforts to be more sustainable.
“Ending child poverty is the central mission of this government and reducing the cost of the school day for families will play a crucial role in this work.”
A spokesperson for Edinburgh School Uniform Bank reacted: “We’re delighted that the government has adopted many of our suggestions around school uniform in their new guidance:
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.
School uniform and clothing: Guidance for schools and education authorities
Demand for preloved uniform is greater than ever!
Hosting a drop-off point for the Edinburgh School Uniform Bank is a fantastic way to support your community and help ensure that all children have access to necessary school clothing.
All that’s needed is for us to place a basket and signage in your allocated space, we will advertise it and ensure it is emptied regularly.
If you have a business or community space and you’d like to get involved, please contact us:
Thank You
URGENT INFORMATION
Are you a parent struggling with the cost of school uniform? There are a few ways you can get help:
Take what you need from one of our free-to-access uniform rails at various locations (see the first section at https://edinburghuniform.org/signposting/ )
Apply for the School Clothing Grant from the council https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/schoolgrants They sometimes give the grant to families who don’t meet their standard criteria, if they’re on a low income, so it might be worth applying. There is also info about other grants on our signposting page https://edinburghuniform.org/signposting/
Ask your school if they can help when the staff go back a couple of days before the start of term. We support mini uniform banks at lots of schools and many schools also have sharing rails.
If you have a family support worker, a health visitor, a social worker, or another similar professional you can ask them to see if you’re eligible for one of our Clothing Crisis Packs – please ask them to read the info at https://edinburghuniform.org/refer/
Edinburgh School Uniform Bank has taken another step forward in addressing the needs of children facing poverty by including stationery items in every clothing crisis pack.
This initiative comes in response to feedback from the Child Poverty Action Group Report on the cost of the school day.
By ensuring that children not only have access to proper school uniforms but also essential stationery, ESUB is helping to create a more level playing field.
This move will aid in reducing the stigma associated with poverty and enable children to focus on their education without the added worry of lacking basic school supplies, crucial for fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students.
This would not be possible without the generosity of our supporters! Thank you!
Thanks to The Flora Stevenson Primary School!
They successfully raised funds for ESUB during a recent uniform swap event. The initiative encouraged parents and students to donate gently used school uniforms, which were then made available for others to take at no cost.
The event not only promoted sustainability by recycling uniforms but also fostered a sense of solidarity within the community.
The funds raised will help the Edinburgh School Uniform Bank continue its essential work, providing assistance to families in need and ensuring that every child can attend school with confidence and dignity.
Thank You
2 weeks until the end of term!
What do you do with all your preloved uniform? We would love it if you could donate any items to us. We will ensure they are sorted and back out in the community, reaching families who need help. 
Please note we cannot take branded/school logo items
We have 4 brand new drop off points in Currie, Colinton, Fort Kinnaird and Ocean Terminal. Click the link below for a full list:
More information on our free to access community rails can be found at the following link:
Thank you
Royal recognition for ESUB!
Our Trustee Julia was honoured to go to Buckingham Palace this week on behalf of all our hardworking volunteers and staff.
Julia & husband John got dressed up to the nines (then soaked to the bone!) at the event hosted by the Prince of Wales.
But what if they had worn their pyjamas instead? Would they have fitted in and enjoyed the occasion?
Clothes really matter, whether it’s a royal event or a wet Wednesday at school. Some children in Edinburgh have gone to school in their pyjamas because that’s all they had.
We work hard to ensure that every child has what they need to fit in and stay warm & dry.
It’s an honour to have our work recognised at the highest level.
We are excited to re-launch our school uniform referral service – Clothing Crisis Packs – for children and young people who are in exceptional need.
Many families can now access free school uniform locally through our pilot projects in schools and networks of community wardrobes. For others, it is usually best to support the family to maximise their income through a “cash first” approach so that they can buy school uniform themselves. A small minority cannot access any of these options, and this is when our Clothing Crisis Packs are available.
If you are a professional working with families in exceptional need, please visit our website to find out more about changes to our referral system.
In the wake of a flood, the ESUB has made a significant location change, moving from our previous address at 1 Waterfront Avenue to a new home at 1 Lochside View, Edinburgh Park.
This move ensures the continuation of the vital service we provide to the community, offering school uniforms to families in need.
In our new location, we are set to carry on with our important work, undeterred by the huge challenges posed by the flood.
