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Mon, 24 Aug 2026

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 Demand soars for free school uniform, says charity

Doreen's repurposes old uniforms and gives them to families in Hull and East Yorkshire for free.

* Demand for school uniforms increases every year, with parents spending an average of £442 for a secondary school child and £343 for a primary school pupil
* New limits on branded school uniform come into force from September, limiting the number of items with compulsory school logos to three
* Charity Doreen's co-founder Ashleigh Hirst says the changes are a "step in the right direction" but would like to see school uniforms free for all children
* Parents welcome the new rules, which could save them up to £50 per child
* A charity repurposing unwanted school uniform is seeing a surge in demand, with customers queuing outside their shop before opening