Alliance Councillor and Deputy Lord Mayor, Peter Mc Reynolds has welcomed support for his motion calling for Belfast City Council to introduce, in liaison with community partners, a school uniform exchange scheme across Belfast.

Councillor McReynolds said: “During my time serving the people as Councillor, but especially as Deputy Mayor, I have met with many families and local groups and heard first hand the problems faced when it is time to buy school uniforms, particularly if there is more than one to be bought. My motion proposes extending the schemes to include P.E. kits, which can be very expensive.

“School uniforms can cost several hundred pounds and can place stresses on families having to juggle finances to pay rent or mortgage and food or heat. Across Belfast there are already a number of schemes where clean and pre-worn uniforms can be donated, exchanged or collected free of charge. My motion seeks to support and enhance those schemes by working with community partners to ensure families can avail of uniforms without prejudice or means testing.

“I welcome support from Councillors for this motion, which will ease the burden on many families. Several other councils already have similar schemes running and we will be in contact with them to learn from their experiences so we can provide the best possible service for families.”