Community Wardrobe Project 2017 Begins

Parents are being asked to donate unwanted items of school uniform, making it easier for local families on low incomes to get ready for the new school year.

Last year the project saw hundreds of items of school uniform donated. Following on from this success, local churches are once more working in partnership with the council, housing association Optivo, local voluntary groups and the Neighbourhood Furniture Store to redistribute school clothes that are no longer needed.

The Sittingbourne Community Wardrobe project will collect clothes from drop-off points in and around Sittingbourne. Volunteers will then set to work cleaning and ironing donations, ready for their new owners.

Reverend Lesley Jones, assistant curate at the Benefice of Milton Regis with Murston, Bapchild and Tonge, told "Demi on "In The Bourne" earlier today (Wednesday 2nd August): "We have had a great response and offers of help, it's good that people want to get involved and great for the community."

Cllr David Simmons, cabinet member for environment and rural affairs, told SFM News: "We are so pleased to be supporting this initiative again this year. As children outgrow their uniforms so quickly, this practical project is a simple way to reduce waste while giving something back to the local community."

If you have other unwanted textiles to recycle, you can put these out alongside your blue bin for kerbside collection. Just fill one carrier bag with your old textiles - including clothes, shoes, sheets, curtains and towels - tie it up and put it next to your blue bin on collection day.

For answers to all your recycling and refuse questions, you can visit Swale Borough Council's website: www.swale.gov.uk/bins-recycling

This year donations can be dropped off at:

• Swale Borough Council, Swale House, East Street, Sittingbourne (Mon-Fri, 9am-4.30pm)
• Bapchild Rectory, 25 School Lane, Bapchild, Sittingbourne (any time)
• Holy Trinity Church, Dover Street, Sittingbourne (Tues, Weds, Thurs, 12-2pm)
• Murston Community Hub, All Saints' Church, Church Road, Murston (Mon-Weds, 10am-12pm)
• Neighbourhood Furniture Store, Trinity Industrial Estate, Milton Regis (Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm)
• Optivo Community House, 66 Coldharbour Lane, Kemsley (please call 07525 680177)
• The Vicarage, Vicarage Road, Milton Regis, Sittingbourne (any time)

Please drop off your items by Thursday 10th August to make sure they can be distributed in time for the start of the new school year: after items are donated, they are sorted, washed, ironed and folded, ready to be collected and reused by local families.

If you'd like to help with cleaning and restoring donations, please call Rev. Lesley Jones on 07881 555580.

There are 3 opportunities to get involved:

• Friday 4th August, Optivo Community House, 10am-2pm
• Wednesday 9th August, Murston Community Hub, 10am-2pm
• Friday 11th August, Optivo Community House, 10am-2pm

The newly restored clothes will then be distributed at local events, taking place over five days.

Find your nearest collection event in the list below:

• Wednesday 16th August, Optivo Community House, 10am-2pm
• Friday 18th August, Murston Community Hub, 10am-2pm
• Monday 21st August, Net Church, 95 East Street, Sittingbourne, 10am-2pm
• Wednesday 23rd August, Holy Trinity Church, Green Porch Close, Milton Regis, 10am-2pm
• Friday 25th August, Neighbourhood Furniture Store, 10am-2pm

For more information and updates about the project, visit the Sittingbourne Community Wardrobe page on Facebook.