Stories

Sun, 02 Aug 2026

Sun, 02 Aug 2026 Parents save on school uniforms at city swap shop

Parents take home school uniform for free at a pop-up that organisers hope can become a regular event.

* Over 600 people queued up outside a former burger bar in Peterborough for free second-hand school clothes
* The event was organized by Peterborough City Council and included branded items from local schools, including tops, blazers, and prom dresses
* Parents said that the pop-up had helped ease the stress of budgeting for the new term, with one mother saying that branded school uniforms "really hit a hole in the budget"
* The council hopes to turn the event into a regular occurrence and is looking at options for a permanent space in the city
* Organizers say that the event is helping to reduce waste by reusing existing items rather than buying new ones
* A local artist and community volunteer is planning to set up a permanent hub for uniforms in the city, citing his own experiences of struggling with the cost of uniform when he was growing up.