A charity connected
by its community.
Ever since forming in 2020, The Clothing Bank has flourished into an incredible network of donors, volunteers and funders, forming a group we like to call The Clothing Bank Community.
Together, we provide everyday essential clothing, school uniform, work attire, shoes and bags to people across the UK.
Our story was built upon a shared mission to transform the lives of others.
Following 2018 research that showed 20% of the UK population were living in poverty, The Clothing Bank founders, Susan and Sally, both felt that there was a gap in the support available to those struggling to afford clothes. Having both experienced poverty before, Susan as a child and Sally as an adult, they decided to embark on mission to bridge this gap, thus forming The Clothing Bank charity in January 2020.
Starting with just a few volunteer clothing drop-off points between friends’ houses in and around North Yorkshire, it didn’t take long for Susan and Sally to realise just how much their charity was needed.
As their work began to grow in demand, they realised they needed extra help. So, within as little as 11 months, they set up The Clothing Bank Cabin, thanks to the support of The Clothing Bank Community and our sponsors, enabling us to stock for future seasons, plan ahead and, ultimately, help more people.
Just 4 years after our foundation, we now have over 120 locations across the UK, supported by a huge network of incredible volunteers. We’re immensely proud of our work, but we know we can do more, and we won’t stop until we get there.
Our Founders
Sally Parkinson
As a parent, I know how hard it can be with the choice of heating, food or clothes. We both worked but were always a couple of pounds over getting help – that’s why it’s important to help those helping themselves, when there is nowhere else to turn. That’s why our charity is so important.
Susan Bell
I grew up in childhood poverty, and never want a child to go through what I did – with no humiliation or people knowing that you were asking for help. That’s why I am passionate about this charity and how we do things.
FAQs
We provide free clothing to people who are struggling to afford it, across Yorkshire and the wider UK.
All of our clothing donations are given to people and groups in need, including the homeless, shelter homes, young vulnerable adults, and families.
People contribute by donating their preloved clothes, sponsoring our charity or volunteering in our team.
After collecting up donations, our team takes them to The Clothing Bank Cabin to start the process of sorting and organising in preparation for distribution.
Whilst we will always aim to find a home for the garments we receive, those that are stained or damaged cannot be repurposed and are therefore sent to be recycled, instead. This money from recycling is then circled back into The Clothing Bank, helping us with operational or purchasing costs of new clothing items that we may be short of.
We believe that charity work should know no boundaries, so we would encourage anyone in need to get in touch, no matter where they are.
Our team is passionate about the work we do and believe that every case should be dealt in a personal, down-to-earth and professional manner. That’s why, alongside each local volunteer, The Clothing Bank co-founders Sally and Susan handle every case we receive.