'We shouldn't be needed' - How Yorkshire-based clothing bank is helping people struggling to afford to clothe themselves

“We’ve had a strong community following that’s what it’s about,” Sally says. “It’s not about me and Susan, it's about community coming together and helping others...You’ve people on all scales that need the help from babies and families to veterans who have been homeless and are starting off in houses with only the clothes they’re wearing.”

Sally Parkinson and friend Susan Bell sort through donations at The Clothing Bank's base in Brotherton. The 100-plus volunteers who run drop-off points are “the backbone of The Clothing Bank”, Sally says, collating good quality donations – secondhand or new – from people in their communities and then taking them over to the organisation’s main base in Brotherton to be sorted, packaged and distributed. Sam Rider Scothorn is among them and has been collecting clothes in her garage in Barnsley for 18 months, taking around 30 bags of donations over to Brotherton every week.

"It’s nice knowing now that this is helping families like us when we were in that situation, those who are working but can’t get help, it’s there for them...These items aren’t going to landfill…they’re helping those that need it. [Clothing] is one less problem for families - they can then go and put food on the table or pay their extortionate gas or electric bill.”

The majority of people helped by The Clothing Bank are in work, Sally says – and they don’t need to be referred by an organisation. People typically request help, in confidence, by message or email and each case is handled by Sally or Susan. The thanks the organisation receives show just how much it is valued. In one anonymised message, for example, a parent and daughter say they “cried knowing we can now be warm”.

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