A new free online service has launched to help families save money on school clothes and other essentials – and its founder is from Blaenavon.
‘Free School Clothes’ is a digital swap shop where families can list good‑quality outgrown school clothes within their school community and request items they need for free. The platform is built around individual schools, with 33 Torfaen schools already signed up.
The not‑for‑profit initiative was created by Jon Evans, who was brought up in Blaenavon and went to St Alban’s RC High School in Pontypool.
Jon said: “FreeSchoolClothes.com helps our communities to support each other directly. Redistributing good quality school clothes is a simple practical action that has a real impact, helping families to save both their pocket and their planet.”
Jon began the project with a single box of clothes outside his family home in Cardiff.
Today, it has grown into a volunteer‑run community initiative helping redistribute outgrown school gear and other essentials for free across the UK.
‘Community action’
Cllr Richard Clark, Torfaen Council’s executive member for education, said: “This free-to-use platform supports The Deal in Torfaen, which focuses on community action and working together to address inequalities.
“We are encouraging all our schools to use the site and to share information with parents to help local families save money. School children grow quickly and money is tight everywhere, so every item exchanged will help families in our communities save money, reduce waste and protect the planet.”