Published on: 14/05/2026
A support scheme which re-shares school uniforms to help struggling families in Heeley is going from strength to strength – and it’s hoped services can be expanded to help meet a growing need.
The uni-recycle scheme has been officially registered with Companies House for the last year, meaning that as a not-for-profit CIC (Community Interest Company) they have now employed an accountant and submitted their first-year accounts. Since then, the outreach has increased and the team has been working with Shelter, the British Red Cross, young carers, social workers, doctors and schools. From the proceeds made, they have offered more help to the community.
The team has been collecting prom dresses for two years now and charge a deposit of £10, which people will get back once they return the dresses or suits. Six sales take place throughout each year, where clothes donated via a blue bin (next to the foodbank collection box outside Heeley Parish Church) are re-sold at pop-up stalls, ranging from 10p to £1.
Louise Bettridge is part of the project and says there’s a constant need for help throughout the year:
‘We have some families that will come to us like before the start of school in September, who are desperate for uniform because the budget just hasn’t allowed them to buy one. However, we don’t stop – we’re open all the time, even though we hold our stock in two different places.
‘It’s a blessing because we realise how many people are on board donating to us. Without that support, we wouldn’t be able to run this project.’
An additional sale is planned for the middle of August, meaning parents who are struggling or want to recycle and donate their old uniform can get stock ready for term time in September.
From anonymous evaluation forms handed out to people who come to each sale, Louise says the responses have shown the difference that the scheme has made to people’s lives:
‘Keeping costs down has been hugely helpful for families. People have also fed back to us to say they wish our project could be bigger!’
Team leader Joanne McCarthy agrees, and says a key request that’s been made is for their services to be open all the time:
‘A lot of the things that were available for families in the school holidays aren’t available anymore, and I think that’s throughout England, not just Sheffield. When my two children were younger, I’d book them on all the park ranger events during the six-week holidays, but a lot of events like it have gone now. If you’ve got children to entertain for six weeks it can be a lot of money, and then you’ve got to buy uniforms on top of everything else.
‘Giving families the opportunity to be able to save a few pounds on uniforms could mean a day out for a family instead.’
Louise adds:
‘Quite a few new parents at the last sale asked what they can do to help. We’d always welcome support with uniform collection, especially with sorting through the 30 or 40 bags we can sometimes get. Help at the sales to direct families to which clothes they need would be a big boost to us’.
Joanne says:
‘We’ve been collecting prom dresses which we’re about to launch and are set up at St Leonard’s Arbourthorne, with the vicar there (Revd Lucy Sablan) letting us use the upstairs lounge area. Those dresses will be based there and ready from now until prom in July.
‘A lot of it has been a real answer to prayer. With our £10 deposit scheme we were wondering how we’d cover the cost of the dry cleaning, but decided to go ahead with it knowing God will provide; just two days later we had a text message from the Tesco on Abbeydale Road, who have been selling books for us and collected over £500. Because of that answer to prayer, we now have a small pot of money we can use for dry cleaning and extra dresses. Hopefully we can help families who wouldn’t able to go to prom otherwise.’
You can find out more about the uni-recycle group on their Facebook page: Uni-Recycle | Facebook
Website: unirecycle.co.uk
If you know of anyone who is struggling, you can contact info@unirecycle.co.uk in complete confidence.
