This is what Harry told me he thought to himself when his teacher told him that he would need to get some new P.E kit - a plain white t-shirt and black joggers – and he would need to wear this to school all day on Wednesdays and Thursdays. So really he’d need two t-shirts and two sets of joggers. So would his others sibling in the school. Even at the age of 10 Harry knew that buying new kit would cause extra financial pressure. Having been a teacher myself, I have my own views on whether the teacher should have dealt with it in this way, especially as she would have know that Harry and his siblings are Pupil Premium and received Free School Meals. I don’t think any child should be shamed in front of their peers for not having the right uniform, or shoes, or coat… It is rarely within the child’s control what uniform they have so I felt desperately sad that Harry was told in from of the class that he needed new P.E kit, and that his reaction was such a adult one. Children not having the right clothes for school sadly isn’t uncommon. Children often turn up for school in unsuitable coats and shoes, the wrong colour trousers, a logo on a t-shirt. Some schools are sensitive to such issues and may have spare coats children can borrow or a supply of spare P.E kit and some schools have even set up clothing banks, to address the needs of children living in poverty. But children are all to aware of who the ‘poor kids’ are. They will know if the children are wearing one of the school coats, have been sent to the office to borrow PE kit or are wearing their friends’ hand-me-downs. The stigma for these children is sometimes difficult to bear. In a recent conversation, a friend told me how she used to skip PE because she didn’t have the right trainers. I’ve heard of children skiving on non-uniform day, despite missing out on a free hot dinner because they didn’t have the right clothes or the £1 donation to bring in. The impact is far reaching. On a practical level, if children don’t have warm enough clothes, they could get ill. Or be unable to concentrate during lessons because they are cold or their clothes are wet because they didn’t have a coat. If they miss out on PE because they don’t have the right kit, they are missing out on exercise – something that our screen-focused, lock-down kids can’t afford to miss out on. There is, of course, the bullying that can happen if children don’t have the right clothes to fit in with their peers and the huge impact this can have on their mental health. Even if they aren’t being bullied, children can suffer from the shame of being ‘different’ or ‘poor’ because they don’t have the right stuff to make them feel confident. I’m not saying children have to have all the latest fashions and expensive brands, but there is something to say for children to feel empowered in the clothes they are choosing to wear. To feel confident to walk into the classroom knowing that they won’t stand out, be cold at playtime or told off by the teacher. To feel safe, and that they belong there. Despite the glorious late summer we’ve been enjoying, it’s already shaping up to be a bleak winter with energy price increases, the end of furlough, the loss of the Universal Credit uplift and fuel and food shortages (if there is less cheap food on the supermarket shelves, it is really hard to budget when you are forced into buying more expensive alternatives). To families already feeling the pinch, what happens when you need to buy winter coats for the kids, hats, scarves, gloves, boots..? Sadly that will be a luxury that many cannot afford. The Charity Shop Gift Card is one solution that can help families in need. In running pilots this autumn/winter, I'm hoping that the cards will give people experiencing financial hardship the dedicated funds to shop for clothing that they need, sustainably and with the whole range of brands and styles that you find in charity shops, whilst freeing up their budget to buy other essentials like food and fuel. Hopefully that will take some of the pressure off the parents and bring some joy to the children.