Money worries!

Shopping

There are tips available to try to reduce the cost of your supermarket shop from money saving expert and the video below.

Supermarket shopping comparison app could help.

The too good to go scheme allows you to buy food at cheaper prices before it goes to waste.

Local food banks

Food banks provide free emergency supplies of food. To visit a food bank you may need to contact Citizen's advice, local children's centre or your Health visitor for a foodbank voucher. Please see the links below for details about your local food bank.

• Food banks and free emergency food in Newcastle - Information Now
• Find a Food Bank - The Trussell Trust

School Uniform Exchanges

These provide good quality pre owned school uniforms to local families for free or low cost.

• Home | Amberley Primary School
• Bailey Green Primary School
  • Bailey Green keep a supply of uniform in school that has been donated from other parents. This is always available should any parent need this
• Balliol Primary School 
  • A stock of pre owned uniform is available direct from school. Parents and carers can drop in during normal working hours (8am - 4pm, Monday to Friday during term time) or contact the school office at info@balliolprimary.co.uk 
• Battle Hill Primary School
  • The school offers the use of a swap shop, where good quality, pre-used uniform and other clothing, including winter coats and footwear, are available. Please note the title 'Swap Shop' does not mean you have to donate. Financial assistance is available for new uniform to families who may be struggling. This support is considered upon request and is dealt with confidentially. 
• Burnside College 
  • Parents and carers can contact the school if they require any financial support with purchasing uniform items.
• Benton Dene Primary
  • The ‘Little Green Shed’ project here is ran by a group of volunteers from a dedicated container bought for the project, its sees school uniform donated, sorted into age, year group, zone and then collected by those who need the support.
• Benton Dene School
  • At parents’ evenings, a table of available items are left out for parents to take what their child may need. The school also hosts specific pre-loved coffee afternoons where parents can bring uniforms in and swap for bigger sizes etc. Finally, there is information shared in the school newsletter where parents are invited to contact the home school link team, who will put a collection of items together and send them home.
• Burradon Community Primary
  • Burradon Primary liaises directly with parents to ask questions about their uniform needs. Local schemes are advertised on the school’s website and a stock of donated items is kept in school and is distributed to parents who complete a uniform request sheet. Before the summer holidays, the school also hosts a Swap Shop where parents can donate uniform which is now too small and swap it for items which have been donated by other parents to be used in the next school year.
• Carville Primary School
  • The school has pre-owned cardigans and jumpers available from the office at all time. Various sizes are available, depending on what has been donated. All donated uniform is machine washed at school.
  • Pre-owned and washed t-shirts, trousers, skirts, dresses etc are available during the week at set times. Days/times TBC. More information will be issued directly to parents. 
• George Stephenson High School
  • The school has a supply of donated (sometimes new) school uniform items. They give them to families, free of charge, when requests are made. Unfortunately, they may not have all sizes, but welcome all requests. The school will will shortly be adding a form to our website, where families can request uniform, as well as being able to contact school directly.
• Greenfields Community Primary School
  • Greenfields has a stock of pre-loved uniform for anyone who needs it. Families can contact the school office on 0191 6250100 or by emailing adminteam@greenfieldsprimary.org.uk to inform them of their requirements. Alternatively, go to the school office and speak to Miss Watton who will be able to help you. During the first week of term, including on our INSET days, uniform will be set out next to the main office for families to select from.
• Hadrian Park Primary
  • The school has a trolley of pre-loved uniform which one of their parents takes to a central spot at the school gates on a Monday and Friday at the end of the school day. The items on the trolley can be bought for £1 or parents can bring an item to swap for another item. 
• John Spence High School
  • Runs an extensive and well equipped uniform bank of good quality second hand and some items of new uniform including shoes and trainers - these are lent out on a daily basis for pupils who don't have any items they need for that day or long term loaned for pupils who may be facing longer term difficulties. Stock of worn but good quality coats available to give to pupils in need School have also hosted swap shop events which have been well attended. 
• Kings Priory School
  • Offer discounted prices for items of uniform at our Sustainable shop.  
• Marden High School
  • A well equipped uniform stock with good quality new and second hand uniform including blazers, jumpers, trousers, skirts, leggings, PE hoodies, PE shorts, shoes and trainers is lent out on a daily basis for pupils who don't have the items they need for that day or long term loaned for pupils who may require this support. They meet with parents of Y6 children joining Marden to provide uniform if needed and there is information and contact details online for families to request school clothing items if needed. Support remains in place for students all through the school and welcome donations from families, alongside the work we do with the Council to ensure a wide range of uniform in excellent condition so every child can enjoy wearing the full Marden High School uniform. 
• Marine Park First School
  • The school has a uniform swap shop in the main entrance. Parents can donate and pick up uniform as and when they need it.  
• Monkhouse Primary School 
  • The school always has spare uniform and lost property at the end of each term and this is out for families to take at the front of school and in the yard. They support parents with the cost of their child's first set of PE uniform - they subsidise the price. They don't enforce the purchase of 'branded' school items. Families can purchase plain items from supermarkets etc. 
• Monkseaton High
  • Monkseaton High School used funds from the Household Support Grant to create uniform packages for families. This allows a student to receive the following, brand new items of uniform: two school polo shirts, two school sweatshirts, one PE polo shirt, one pair of PE shorts, one pair of PE socks, one winter jacket. They place the order with its uniform supplier, which then delivers it to the student’s home address. The school also has a well-stocked and well-used Uniform Swap Shop in school, so once students have grown out of the initial items purchased, they can bring them in to exchange.
• New York Primary
  • A free of charge, pre loved/worn school uniform store is at the front entrance of school. This includes all items of uniform across the terms including summer item and PE kits. A selection of warm clothing including coats and anoraks and some footwear is also available. Where they are unable to provide from our preloved/worn supplies we urge families to let us know their need and we can provide uniform items from supermarket ranges. 
• Norham High School
  • Norham High School has set up an in-house uniform bank which allows the school to support pupils swiftly and with no stigma attached. The project provides free of charge new and preloved uniforms as well as other items, all year round. This is not means-tested.
• Richardson Dees Primary School
  • The school only has one compulsory item of clothing - a school hoodie or sweatshirt - and they provide the initial one free of charge. They offer a free second hand uniform rail which parents can just help themselves from and is located in the front entrance. They hold stock of some new uniform which is available for anyone struggling or is provided to pupils who may require something for any reason.
• Riverside Primary School
  • They provide a uniform exchange throughout the year and encourage parents to support with donations. They also have a limited amount of new uniform we have purchased (excluding embroidered sweatshirts) for the beginning of the new academic year. They hold a stock of plimsolls that can be purchased in school throughout the year.
• Rockcliffe First School 
  • Parents and carers can exchange outgrown garments for those in the correct size, or purchase items for a small voluntary contribution (recommended 50p per item but this is not compulsory). Operates a 'swap and sell' system for second-hand uniform and has stalls at all special events and at other times throughout the year. Parents/carers may ask their children's teachers or TAs about uniform items at any time. There's no obligation to buy garments with the school badge and that generic items from supermarkets or other outlets are perfectly acceptable. 
• Shiremoor Primary School
  • Parents and carers should contact the school office if they are struggling with uniform or any other school related costs. 
• Southlands School
  • The school has a supply of pre-loved uniform in school. Parents can contact school on 0191 300 0505 should they need uniform. There will be opportunities for parents to be able to see the stock at parents evening and select items for their child. Donations from parents for pre-loved uniforms, coats and shoes are welcomed. They have a flexible approach to branded clothing - students can wear non-branded items both for sensory and financial needs.  
• St Bartholomew's C of E Primary School
  • Spare, second hand uniform is available for no cost. Extra support is also available for families in receipt of Pupil Premium and other vulnerable pupils. 
• St Bernadette's Catholic Primary School
  • The school offers a confidential avenue for all families to request either full or partial support with purchase of school uniform. The level of annual support is limited to funding we have available but they aim to supply at least two sets of uniform for each child. They have pre-loved items available from school and offer opportunities in year for access to support. They actively encourage recycling of uniform and are looking to develop a uniform hub at the school in the coming year.
• Sir Thomas More Catholic High School
  • Runs a pre-loved uniform shop and provide support for families in need with financial costs of school through the email address familysupport@stmacademy.org.uk. 
• St Columba's Catholic Primary School
  • They have free pre-loved uniform available in school. Families can also donate uniform to use in the Uniform Swap Shop.
• St Mary's Catholic Primary School (Forest Hall)
  • Hosts a uniform swap shop. They take in uniform in good clean condition and parents can contact the school office if they need something. 
• Star of the Sea Primary School
  • Offers a recycle scheme where they encourage parents to send pre loved uniform into school. Parents can contact the office to collect or exchange uniform via starofthesea.primary@ntlp.org.uk or calling 0191 6432080. 
• Valley Gardens Middle School
  • As a school they strongly support upcycling and redistribution of school uniform. Parents very kindly donate items which are no longer of use and these items are laundered and re-distributed to other parents.  
• Waterville Primary
  • The school regularly has donations from local providers which consist of trousers, skirts and polo shirts. Each term they display any spare uniform in our playground to be collected by parents. Any parents who would like further support please contact the school office.
• Western Community Primary School
  • The school has storage boxes of used clean donated uniform. The uniform is organised in age/size to make it easily accessible to families.  In addition, they also have racks of winter coats and shoes/trainers. The racks and boxes are placed outside the main entrance to school for families to help themselves to.
• Whitley Bay Appletree Gardens First School
  • Offers preloved uniform for free which is located outside of the school office. 
• Whitley Bay High School
  • The coastal based secondary school has an account with its local uniform provider where the school can pre-pay for uniform for some students. The school also holds a small stock of items to distribute, discreetly, to students when an item is required and isn’t attainable, including PE kit. For colder months, the school has an arrangement with Newcastle United for donations of winter coats which are then distributed to students in need.
• Woodlawn School
  • A range of donated uniform is available for both primary and secondary and support is available for individual families where required. 
• Michael Sehgal - find your school

Baby banks

These provide items for babies. You may need to ask your midwife or health visitor for a referral to the baby bank.

• Find UK Baby Banks Near You - Netmums

Second hand items

• www.gumtree.com
• Freecycle
• www.ilovefreegle.org

You may have items which you can sell online this video shows you how.

Support during School Holidays

There is support for children who have free school meals during the school holidays:

Holiday activities and food programme 2023 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)