A FREE school uniform shop is opening next weekend (29-30) at Ealing Broadway shopping centre to help families get essential items early.

The centre is inviting people to donate good-quality, non-branded school clothing and sportswear before then at a dedicated donation box located outside Tesco Express.

On Sunday, July 30, 10am-4pm, visitors will be able to browse the donations and take up to four items to help prepare their children for going back to school. 

The same weekend, Ealing Broadway’s popular free Clothes Swap will be running for the third time this year, providing visitors with a sustainable way to recycle other old or unwanted clothes in return for new items.

People can donate clothes at the pop-up shop next to Flying Tiger on Saturday, July 29.

In return, they will receive a maximum of five tokens to spend on other items the following, enabling them to update their wardrobes sustainably.

The initiative is run in partnership with Love Not Landfill and has already led to 2,000 items being donated, including tops, jumpers, dresses, and jackets, with 1,600 pieces swapped by the community at previous events.

Ealing Repair Café, a volunteer group, will also be on hand at the centre on the 29th to teach people how to repair and upcycle clothing rather than discarding it.

Timings are as follows:

  • From now until Saturday, July 29: Drop off pre-loved school uniform and sportswear items at the donation box outside Tesco Express
  • Saturday, July 29, 10am-4pm: Drop off general clothing outside Flying Tiger and receive tokens
  • Sunday, July 30, 10am-4pm: Visitors can pick up school unform items outside Tesco Express and cash in their tokens for the general clothing outside Flying Tiger

Andrew Rollings, centre director at Ealing Broadway, said: “The response we’ve had to the Clothes Swap has been incredible. It’s brilliant to see so many people donating pre-loved items and wanting to browse for something new.

“It inspired us to also host the uniform donation point and shop this time around.”