A BASINGSTOKE mother and daughter have established a non-profit organisation to donate school uniforms and supplies to those who need them.
Operation: Back to School Basingstoke was set up by Suzie Hale and her daughter Chloe after they saw the effects that the cost-of-living crisis was having on members of the community.
“And I think reading that line about ‘1-in-10 families having to skip a meal to afford their school uniforms’, it just really touched our hearts and we thought ‘let’s see if there’s something we can do to help those in our community’."
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As part of their efforts to help the community, Suzie and Chloe are organising a free giveaway event, there they will provide school uniforms and supplies to families in need in the area.
The giveaway will take place at Russell Howard Pavilion in Basingstoke on Saturday, August 27 and will take place from 10am to 12pm.
Attendees will receive free school uniforms and supplies suitable for children aged four-12.
There will be a mix of both new and pre-loved items available at the giveaway, with donations from the local community and surplus stock from local supermarkets both being given away.
Suzie said that she and Chloe plan on holding more giveaways in the future if there is demand.
She continued: “We would absolutely love to do more like this.
“To be able to do a Christmas giveaway would be amazing, with presents for those children who are having to go without because their parents can’t afford them.
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“And people have said that we should definitely do this again next year.”
Currently Chloe and Suzie are looking for volunteers who can help them out on the day of the giveaway.
Suzie said: “We’re anticipating that we will get quite a few people.
“At the moment it really is just Chloe and I, so any help we can get, donations, help sorting, help laying out, anything like that would be massively appreciated."
More information about Operation Back to School Basingstoke can be found on its Facebook page facebook.com/operationbacktoschoolbasingstoke.
Additionally, donations can be made to the organisations Just Giving page justgiving.com/crowdfunding/backtoschoolbasingstoke.
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