UKFT charity partner The Fashion & Textile Children’s Trust raises over £3,566 with back-to-school campaign
02/09/2024
UKFT charity partner The Fashion & Textile Children’s Trust has raised over £3,566 with its back-to-school campaign. This amount is enough to fund the equivalent of 90 pairs of children’s school shoes or 45 secondary school blazers. Scroll down to find out more.
The Fashion & Textile Children’s Trust (FTCT) ran a back-to-school fundraising campaign from 1 July 2024 to 31 July 2024 aiming to support families facing significant back-to-school expenses. Since 1853, FTCT has been dedicated to supporting children from UK fashion and textile families. The charity provides grants for essential items including clothing, bedding and more.
This campaign comes in response to the charity’s Back-to-School 2024 Survey, which highlighted the financial strain fashion and textile families are facing with the new school year approaching. Amongst the 54 respondents, all parents working in the UK fashion and textile sector who previously received grants from FTCT, 75% indicated experiencing extreme stress due to back-to-school expenses.
70% of the respondents shared they find it impossible to set money aside for back-to-school expenses. Their primary financial concerns being over uniform costs, buying laptops or tablets, school meals, transportation and childcare.
Image: Luxury Lockstitch placed fundraising posters.
“With the help of our back-to-school grant, my daughter can do her homework on the laptop which has helped tons. The whole process of applying was very easy from start to finish,” said a parent who benefited from a FTCT back-to-school grant.
“Through the campaign, we want to reflect the lived experiences of the families who approach us for support. We can’t ignore the harsh reality that children right across the UK are being left behind at school due to economic challenges- this includes the children of colleagues within the fashion and textile sector,” said Anna Pangbourne, CEO of FTCT.
FTCT has partnered with several UKFT members committed to supporting the campaign, such as ACS Clothing and LLUK. FTCT commented:
“Scottish based, circular fashion brand ACS Clothing held a fundraiser at their head office, with treats including an iced coffee bar and fundraising games, raising over £160. Meanwhile, bespoke textile manufacturers Luxury Lockstitch placed fundraising posters around their Maidenhead HQ, encouraging staff to both donate and find out more about the support FTCT grants can give.”
Image: CS Clothing held an fundraiser at their head office.
FTCT raised over £3,566 to date through its back-to-school campaign, which is enough to fund the equivalent of 90 pairs of children’s school shoes or 45 secondary school blazers. These funds will be immediately used to support study essentials for children from UK fashion and textile families.
A parent who benefited from a FTCT back-to-school grant said: “At the time of applying [to the FTCT] I was working less hours and had debts to pay off. I needed school shoes and uniform for both kids and a laptop for my daughter. These items were so important to both my children’s wellbeing, but especially for my daughter. We didn’t have a computer at home and she is still young, so I didn’t want her to be travelling on her own to the library every time she needed to do her homework.”
“With the help of our back-to-school grant my daughter can do her homework on the laptop which has helped tons. The whole process of applying was very easy from start to finish.”
Promote FTCT at your workplace
Promoting FTCT within your workplace can be highly beneficial to industry families, as it can help bring awareness to the grant opportunities available to those in need. The promotion can take the shape of flyers posted on your noticeboards or a multi-site campaign. FTCT is currently working with several UKFT members, including ACS Clothing, LLUK and The Textile Centre of Excellence (TCoE).
To start promoting FTCT at your workplace, contact FTCT CEO Anna Pangbourne at anna@ftct.org.uk
Apply for a grant
The Trust helps parents who are facing financial hardship due to sudden loss of income, challenging circumstances at home or ongoing health issues.
Grant criteria:
- Parents or carers of children (aged 0- 18 years)
- Who work OR have worked in the UK fashion and textile industry for at least one year within the last nine years
- AND meet FTCT’s financial hardship criteria