Sandy Lane charity, uniform maker partner to put kids in fresh school garb

More families will receive help getting children ready for the new school year after the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust launched an expanded back-to-school assistance programme, including a $100 000 investment in school uniforms and a new initiative to provide 500 pairs of school shoes for children in need.

But Uniform Factory Outlet director Dean Straker said even more children could benefit if the government waived the value added tax (VAT) on the donation, appealing to the finance minister to exempt the contribution from the tax so an additional $15 000 could go towards buying uniforms instead.

The programme will provide school uniforms through store credit, along with school shoes and other educational assistance for vetted families, with trustee Pippa Challis saying the trust increased its contribution this year because more parents are finding it difficult to meet the cost of sending their children back to school.

“This year we have decided to continue the support to those organisations I’ve mentioned previously, but also to add a little bit more into the pot,” she said.

“I think that’s because it’s needed, greatly needed. The cost of living has gone up, wages haven’t grown significantly, but I think the reality is, and we have to be honest with ourselves, people live hand to mouth.”

Challis said while many households were managing to pay their rent and put food on the table, finding hundreds of dollars for school uniforms remained a major hurdle.

“The big problem comes these days when all of a sudden you have the uniforms. And that uniform bill comes to $300, $400, $500. Regardless of your number of children, you’ve obviously got to find more money.”

Uniform Factory Outlet director Dean Straker displays one of the school uniforms that will be provided to children as representatives of the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust look on during Friday’’s donation presentation. (Photo Credit: Contributed)

The donation will be distributed through Uniform Factory Outlet using a pre-approved list of families identified for assistance.

“They have a list of families. I’m afraid it’s not a free-for-all. There is a pre-agreed list of families and children’s names and they will be working with us hand in hand with that list and within our parameters,” Challis said.

She said the aim was to ensure children started the school year with confidence:

“For me, it’s about getting the children off to school with a good start. You walk into school with a good uniform on, you look like everybody else, you feel like everybody else, and you have the confidence to start the new term afresh.”

The expanded programme also includes 500 pairs of school shoes sourced from the United Kingdom and additional assistance through partnerships with retailers to help families secure books, stationery and other back-to-school essentials.

Addressing the brief handover ceremony, Straker said the trust’s contribution was substantial, but a VAT exemption would allow the programme to stretch even further.

“One hundred thousand dollars is no little contribution and it’s a great example of what people can do,” he said.

“What I would like to beg the Minister of Finance for is that he will make that cheque VAT exempt so that we do not pay $15 000 out in VAT to government.

“I really hope that we will get a break with that so that we can give more uniforms to more children, and that’s what it’s all about.”

He thanked the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust for partnering with Uniform Factory Outlet, stressing that helping children return to school in proper uniforms was about more than appearance.

“As Pippa said, feeling good about themselves, that’s important to start off the right way on the first day of school.”

(SM)