Clothes bank for children to open new centre in Norfolk town

The Breckland Children's Clothes Bank was set up by Dawn Ribardo in 2022 to provide pre-loved shoes and clothes for children aged up to 16.

Now, the charity is opening a dedicated centre off Lynn Road in Swaffham to meet the demand.

Mrs Ribardo, 42, said: “I didn’t realise there was going to be such a high level of demand.

"There are not many clothes banks or baby banks in the country.

A mum’s mission to help children get the clothes they need is nearing a new milestone (Image: Submitted)

"Although there is another one in Thetford, we are the only one serving the whole of Breckland, so it's very busy.”

The charity was set up after Mrs Ribardo saw the need for a clothes bank through her work with the housing association Victory Homes.

She said: “I’m a tenancy support officer so I support families and people who need a little extra support at difficult times.

"As a team, we saw a big need for children’s clothes.

“I started by gathering some clothes in my loft, with donations from friends, family and connections.”

The clothes bank was initially based in a garage, and later in central Dereham, before Mrs Ribardo found the Swaffham building.

Mrs Ribardo, 42, said she had been surprised by the clothes bank's popularity (Image: Submitted)

The new centre will be officially opened at a public open day on Saturday, September 28, from 10am to 1pm.

Mrs Ribardo said building the charity had involved applying for grants, having a logo designed, appointing trustees, and recruiting two volunteers – with more to follow.

Clothes donations come via her personal network, offers on social media, and collection points at the Lynn Road centre and at Swaffham’s Tesco.

People in Breckland can request what clothes they need through an online form before collecting them from the centre.

Mrs Ribardo also runs a couple of pop-up days each year to give away school uniforms.