Getting children ready for a new school year can put extra pressure on family budgets. This summer, we've been supporting Valley CiDS to help make that a little easier for families across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Valley CiDS is an independent Christian charity dedicated to supporting local communities and investing in the next generation. Through its Lighthouse Charity Shops, the charity runs a Free School Uniform, Bags & School Supplies Giveaway to help families prepare for the start of term.
After supporting the initiative last summer, we were keen to get involved again this year.
Our Sales Director, Tonia Baldwin, led the effort, collecting quality pre-loved school uniform from friends, neighbours, mums from her daughter's D@ncework class and colleagues at Yappl. We also donated £500 worth of brand-new school uniform to support the giveaway.
Tonia was supported by Scott Drabble, our Logistics & Administration Manager, who was on hand to help collect and donate the uniform. Together, they visited the Lighthouse Charity Shops Distribution Hub to hand everything over.
They were welcomed by Jess Pfitzman, Retail Sales Manager for Lighthouse Charity Shops, and Collette Allsobrook, Retail Stock & Logistics Manager, who received the donation on behalf of Valley CiDS.
The donated uniform will now help Valley CiDS support more local children and families as they get ready for the new school year.
Tonia said, "It's been lovely to see so many people get behind this again. Friends, neighbours, parents and people across Yappl have all contributed, and every item can help a family who needs it.
"Valley CiDS does such valuable work in our local communities, so I'm really pleased we've been able to support the initiative for another year."
For us, supporting the communities around us is about more than making a donation. It's also about bringing people together and finding practical ways to make a difference.
A big thank you goes to everyone who donated uniform and helped Tonia with the collection, and to the Valley CiDS team for the work they continue to do for local families.