The challenges faced by families across Dumbarton and the Vale as children prepare to head back to school has been laid bare by an increase in uptake at a charity’s uniform bank service.

The West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare’s uniform bank aims to support parents of youngsters of both primary and secondary age, by providing full uniforms as well as making use of nearly new items.

It’s the third year that the service has been running, but there has already been an increase in the numbers looking for support, with more than 200 children expected to be requiring support by the time the new school term comes around.

Clair Coyle, trustee at West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare, told the Reporter: “Last year, we supported 161 children through the uniform bank, but we’ve already received 100 requests for support so far this year, with more orders expected closer to school starting.”

The organisation helps children and families arriving at the service from a range of settings, from those already receiving food support to those referred by social work departments.

It also remains in dialogue with local schools to help provide support to kids arriving without what they need for the new term.

Ms Coyle added: “We’ve got really good links with the local schools and we get requests from them to help children have what they need when they go back.

“There’s a lot of pressure on the high school kids in particular and some of the schools are looking for the exact uniforms with the logo, but they can often be more expensive and so it’s difficult for families who already have a lot of costs to bear.”

The increase in demand for the uniform bank service follows an increase in requests for support across all of the services provided by West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare, with 105 food parcels handed out in its “holiday hunger” programme just this week, compared to 80 across the three weeks it ran last year.

Ms Coyle said: “The council recently said there were around 4,500 people living in poverty in West Dunbartonshire, and we’re only supporting around 200 of them, so it’s a big challenge.

“There are people who we are supporting with food provision that are struggling because they’re having their benefits cut or facing sanctions, and there are even those who are working on zero hours contracts unable to pay the bills and facing costs like uniforms.”

West Dunbartonshire MP Martin Docherty said: “I have the utmost respect for volunteers across West Dunbartonshire who are helping some of the most disadvantaged children in our communities.

"The uniform bank has been a vital source of support for families over the past few years who are struggling as a result of Tory austerity measures and welfare cuts.

“The generosity of people locally who have donated to the uniform bank is greatly appreciated and I would encourage anyone struggling ahead of the schools returning to get in touch.”