• Home
• Features
• A dad put a box outside his house for unwanted school clothes. Four years later, 200 schools are involved

A dad put a box outside his house for unwanted school clothes. Four years later, 200 schools are involved

What started as a simple way to help families in Jon Evans' Cardiff community has grown into a nationwide school uniform swap – as parents find new ways to cut costs and help each other.

• Hollie Bond

Published: September 23, 2026 at 1:36 AM

Save

• Share on facebook
• Share on twitter
• Share on pinterest
• Share on whatsapp
• Share on reddit
• Share on tumblr

When Jon Evans turned up at his children's primary school one Friday afternoon with a huge garden sack, his plan was simple: he wanted to collect good-quality school clothes that other families no longer needed and pass them on for free to families who could use them.

Ad

The dad-of-two had been looking at the financial pressure families were facing after Covid, as inflation soared and the cost-of-living crisis began to bite. He wanted to do something practical to help other families like his.

But as he stood at the school gates, nobody came over with any donations.

Jon walked home empty-handed, feeling a little embarrassed, with his then six-year-old son watching on.

Then his wife Shân had an idea: why not put a plastic storage box outside their house and let parents drop off unwanted school clothes whenever it suited them?

The couple thought a few local families might swap some outgrown clothes. What happened next revealed just how many parents were feeling the pinch – and turned one simple idea outside a Cardiff family home into something much bigger than they had ever imagined.

The clothes just kept coming

The second-hand school clothes started arriving. First just enough to fill the box and then more and more.

“Before long our front room was overrun,” says Jon. “The whole family was involved in sorting, listing and redistributing items.

“Parents contacted me on WhatsApp with what they needed, we sorted the items and setup an ‘out’ box, for families to collect what they needed anytime. There were a lot of very early mornings and late evenings.”

That first summer (2022), 1,851 items were redistributed – with an equivalent retail value of £17,000.

“There wasn’t a grand plan,” says Jon. “We just got on with it!”

Over the next four years the initiative just grew and grew. And to date, Jon’s second-hand uniform swap has redistributed 7,927 items, with an estimated saving for families of £51,605. And it’s not just money he’s helping save. It's the planet. The estimated carbon offset of the scheme is around 32.5 tonnes.

What happened has been exceptional.

Jon Evans, founder of FreeSchoolClothes.com

This year marked a significant step for the movement and for Jon and his family. The lone box outside their Cardiff home is long gone, and he has now launched FreeSchoolClothes.com – taking the cause well beyond just their local area. The site already has 200 schools on board, with the option for any parent or teacher to set up a swap for their own school.

“What happened has been exceptional,” says Jon. “We’ve learnt a lot and adapted quickly to feedback, it’s been a huge labour of love for all my family, and massively rewarding.”

For parents, the September squeeze is very real

Jon’s experience is striking, but perhaps not that surprising. For many parents, the pressure behind the initiative will be all too familiar as they prepare to send their kids back to school this September.

The government recently estimated that uniform costs on average £440 for secondary school pupils and £340 for primary pupils.
And this is money that parents need to find after six weeks of summer holidays, which could cost up to £1,145 per child for working parents, according to Coram Family and Childcare’s 21st annual Holiday Childcare Survey.

It can be hard to buy everything that's needed especially when many parents are fresh from trying to fund days out and activities.

Dan Paskins, Executive Director for UK Impact, Save the Children.

With parents feeling the end of summer squeeze, it’s no surprise then that Save The Children’s Big Summer Survey 2026 found that 47% of parents say school uniform is the back-to-school cost they're most worried about, with a third admitting they go without things for themselves to cover the bills.

Other parents said they are working overtime, using savings or borrowing money in order to cover the extra expense.

"Uniform, shoes and rucksacks can be extremely expensive, especially for larger families, and it can be hard to buy everything that's needed, especially when many parents are fresh from trying to fund days out and activities,” says Dan Paskins, Executive Director for UK Impact, Save the Children.

“The UK Government has made a good start by limiting branded items to reduce costs, but the cost-of-living crisis is still making life hard for families."

Parents weren't just looking for hand-me-downs

The reason Jon’s community initiative has become so popular is because it doesn’t feel like charity or a haves versus have-nots style set-up.

With so many families feeling the financial pressure and the fact that the scheme isn’t means-tested, receiving second-hand uniform doesn’t feel like getting a handout, and there’s no shame attached.

Families genuinely get joy from seeing a good quality item being reused and receiving items they know would just be gathering dust in someone else’s house.

Some families use it because they need to save money. Others simply don’t see the point in buying something new when a perfectly good item is available locally for free. Others particularly like the environmental benefit.

Jon Evans

“I think people are increasingly comfortable with good quality second-hand clothes,” says Jon. “Parents can see that buying everything new isn’t always necessary, particularly when children can grow out of something incredibly quickly.”

“Some families use it because they need to save money. Others simply don’t see the point in buying something new when a perfectly good item is available locally for free. Others like the environmental benefit.”

Jon has been particularly heartened to see how much joy people get from giving items and helping to change the culture of always buying new.

“What has really surprised us is the appetite not only to receive clothes, but to give them. There is a real willingness among parents to help another family if there is a simple way of doing it,” he says.

“Also, measuring environmental benefits effectively has a positive influence over all participants, especially young people. That can drive a culture change.”

No handouts. No judgement. Just clothes that still have life in them

We all know children grow like weeds, and school trousers or a shirt that fitted perfectly three months ago can suddenly be flapping round their ankles or wrists. And buying more uniform in such quick succession just isn’t sustainable for many families.

The premise of Jon’s scheme is simple – one child outgrows an item that another child just down the street needs. Instead of it sitting unused in a wardrobe the item can move directly between families, no cash needed and no postage or platform fees to pay. Most importantly, there’s no judgement involved.

“One of the things we’ve tried hard to do is make the initiative something for everyone,” says Jon. “It isn’t means-tested, and there is no assessment of whether someone “needs” an item enough. If a family has good quality clothes, they no longer need, they can offer them. If another family can use them, they can request them. It’s as simple as that.

“That helps remove some of the stigma that can sometimes be associated with asking for help.”

Jon isn't the only parent thinking this way

Jon’s FreeSchoolClothes.com is just one of many similar cost-cutting initiatives for families popping up around the country.
From baby banks and clothes swaps to toy libraries and community pantries, budget- and eco-conscious parents are finding increasingly creative ways to share the things their families need.

Clothes-swapping or “swishing” events involve parents organising local clothes swaps where unwanted children’s clothes are exchanged rather than sold. Similarly, there are toy and equipment libraries for parents to swap short-lived items such as toys, books, and equipment.

Parents are even taking on the ever-rising family food bill, which has increased by nearly 40% over the past five years.

Instead of food banks, which many parents may feel are only for people living in poverty, families are launching community fridges and pantries with a ‘take what you need, leave what you can’ model, similar to Jon’s uniform model. These schemes allow families to supplement their weekly food via community sharing rather than feeling like they’re receiving charity.

In Cheltenham, The Community Pantry project is a particularly successful model, where parents can pay a tiny weekly membership sum of £4 are able to choose £15 to £20 worth of quality fresh, frozen, and ambient goods that match their family’s specific tastes and dietary needs.

Baby banks are also increasingly being created and used by families in the UK. In 2025, 400,000 children were supported by baby banks – an 11% increase from the previous year.

Parents set up localised hubs such as Little Village in London, MammaKind in the South East and TippyToes in Lancashire to collect pre-loved equipment, like buggies and cots, and pass them on to other families.

The UK Baby Bank Network, now a nationwide coalition, started out as a hyper-local, parent-led initiative and has grown into a network of over 400 grassroots baby banks.

In 2025, baby banks gave away 84,000 pairs of shoes and 340,000 books, with some providing urgent supplies like nappies and formula too. Some also provide uniform staples such as coats and bags.

Back to school is the perfect storm

While these initiatives provide year round support, it’s in September that parents really feel the pinch – when multiple bills all arrive at once, the weather turns cooler, and Christmas looms large on the horizon – which is why uniform swap shops are proving so popular.

“There is clearly significant pressure on family finances, particularly around the return-to-school period when lots of costs arrive at once,” says Jon.

“We’ve had some lovely feedback from families, particularly around the relief of not having to buy everything again at the start of a school year.”

The rules are changing this September

As well as helpful community schemes, there is some good news for cash-strapped parents at a policy level too.

From September, schools in England will only be able to require pupils to have three branded items as part of their uniform. Secondary schools can also require a branded tie.

That doesn't necessarily mean school logos are disappearing altogether. Schools can continue offering additional branded clothing as optional extras, but parents should not be required to buy more than the permitted number of compulsory branded items.

The government says the change could save some families up to £50 per child.

Before buying an expensive list of uniform parents should check their school uniform policy and enquire about second-hand uniform opportunities, both of which should be published on its website.

If the school doesn’t appear to be following the new guidelines, parents can raise the issue with the headteacher.

Six simple ways to spend less this September

Check your school's second-hand uniform scheme

If you're in England, schools should now make opportunities to acquire second-hand uniform freely accessible to parents and publish information about them on their website.

It could be a dedicated uniform swap, a second-hand sale or a system for parents to pass clothes on to other families.

And don't assume second-hand means second-best. Children can grow out of a blazer, jumper or pair of trousers long before there's anything wrong with them.

Check what's available in your local community too.

Facebook Marketplace, local Facebook groups, Freecycle and school-gate groups can all be useful places to find children's clothes and equipment that other families no longer need.

Some schools and PTAs also run their own informal swap or giveaway groups, where parents can pass items directly to other families.

Check whether you can get help with the cost

Your local council may offer help towards school uniform costs, particularly for children starting secondary school. Search your council's website for school uniform grants and check the eligibility criteria as early as possible, as some funds are limited.

The support available varies across the UK. In Scotland, families can apply for a School Clothing Grant, while in Wales there is the School Essentials Grant. In Northern Ireland, uniform grants are available through the Education Authority. And in England you’ll need to check if your particular council offers help.

It's also worth asking your child's school whether it has a hardship fund. These aren't always widely advertised, so a conversation with the school office could be worthwhile if you're struggling with the cost.

Don't overlook your local baby bank

Baby banks aren't just for babies.

Some support families with older children too, and may have school essentials such as coats, shoes, school bags and other uniform staples available.

Swap with another parent

If your child has outgrown a perfectly good jumper, blazer or PE kit, there could be another family looking for exactly that item.

That's the idea behind Jon Evans' FreeSchoolClothes.com, which allows parents to join their school community, list good-quality school clothes they no longer need and offer them to other families for free.

There is no means-testing and no money changes hands. Parents arrange a local collection themselves, turning an outgrown uniform into something another child can use.

Check exactly what you need to buy

If you're in England, it's particularly worth checking your school's uniform policy this September with the new rules in place.

If you think your school is asking for more branded items than the rules allow, you can raise the issue directly with the headteacher, referencing the government's statutory guidance on school uniform costs.

Don't throw out uniform just because it's too small

One child's too-small jumper could be another child's September essential.

If school clothes are still in good condition, consider passing them on rather than leaving them forgotten in a cupboard or putting them in the bin.

You could donate them to your school's second-hand scheme, a local community group or a baby bank, or offer them directly to another family.

That's the thinking behind FreeSchoolClothes.com's strapline: "Saving Pocket & Planet."

Jon’s hope is that passing on an outgrown school uniform items eventually becomes second nature for parents.

"Please don’t throw them away or leave them forgotten in a cupboard!” Jon says. “One family's outgrown school clothes can be exactly what another family needs."

The challenge isn’t a shortage of clothes

Back in 2022, Jon had no idea that a plastic storage box outside his Cardiff home would lead to thousands of school uniform items finding new homes.

The challenge isn't really a shortage of clothes, it's connecting the family who no longer needs something with the family who does.

Jon Evans

What started as one family trying to help a few people in their local community has grown into something much bigger. But for Jon, the ultimate goal isn't simply to make FreeSchoolClothes.com bigger. It's to change the way we think about the things our children outgrow.

“The challenge isn't really a shortage of clothes, it's connecting the family who no longer needs something with the family who does,” he says.

A school jumper that no longer fits one child can still have years of life left in it for another. A blazer gathering dust in a wardrobe could save another parent from spending £30 or £40 they don't have. And a box of unwanted clothes can become a lifeline for a family feeling the squeeze.

Jon hopes that eventually, passing on an outgrown uniform will become second nature – that when a child grows out of a perfectly good jumper, parents will instinctively think: someone else can use this.

Jon has come a long way from that disappointing Friday afternoon at the school gates, garden sack in hand, when nobody came over.

But the idea behind that first box hasn't changed: one family's unwanted school clothes could help another family make going back to school a little more joyful, rather than another stressful financial juggle.

Ad

Images: Jon Evans and Getty

Authors

Hollie BondSenior Digital Journalist

Hollie is Senior Digital Journalist at MadeForMums. She writes articles about pregnancy, parenting, child health and getting pregnant. She has written for a number of national lifestyle magazines and websites over the past 12 years including Family History Monthly, You and Your Wedding and Muddy Stilettos. She has two children aged 5 and 8 and hasn't slept since 2017!

Ad

Ad

Loading...

Ad

Loading...