School Uniform Recycling Initiative

The Aims

1 "Its cool to recycle"

Involving and encouraging children in recycling.

This is consistent with the eco schools challenge for the green flag.

2 "The children are our future"

Raising children's awareness of global issues such as poverty and suffering, ethical trade etc. This is consistent with the school curriculum.

3 Bringing 'the outside in' for schools

Raising the profile of Oxfam in education for children.

The link between oxfam and education is mutually beneficial given Oxfam's international aid and recycling role and should be seen as a natural link.

4 Act globally

Raising money for oxfams international aid work providing educational resources etc.

5 Act locally

Providing a service to the local community providing smart, low-cost, recycled uniforms.

Progress

Aim 1-Recycle-Double assessment
We still need to collate figures to assess The eco savings for the environment.
Remember it is not only the amount of clothing donated, it is also the amount of clothing saved from purchase elsewhere by ethical buying. The double benefits.

Aim 2- Awareness/ Values/ Global issues
Much has been achieved through the involvement of children in the initiative and by the publicity the initiative attracted eg The Herald article about ethical trade and Oxfams press release regarding 80 million children without education which were linked to the initiative and the potential for such work to help raise funds to provide education.
We need to link with the school curriculum for eco issues,fair trade issues and Global issues.

Aim 3- Profile of Oxfam
The initiative attracted good publicity
The local press-The Extra (one on the initiative and one on the possibility of it going national)
The Evening Times- national press
The Herald-National press
BBC News/also online 16-07-2007 (Listen here; Online article here)
Radio Scotland News drive 16-07-2007 (audio coming soon)
Radio Clyde
Real radio
Charity news publication
Also expected- The Guardian -August
The Glasgow City Insider and more.

4) To raise money for oxfam
£17,00 of stock was put out for the opening of the store with with lots more in store
MON- SAT first week took in £1200 in uniforms with increased sales in fair trade products
etc. Donations have continued to be made. The publicity attracted customers to the store many who may not of thought of shopping at Oxfam. This was during the fair holiday week when business is traditionally quiet in the area.

5) To provide a service to the local community of low cost smart recycled uniforms
The demand was high (outstripped the supply from one large school) and sales were high.
eg, one woman came to the store having read about the initiative in the local paper, she was given the date for the start of the sale and she was back early on the opening day. She was delighted to kit out her son who was starting secondary school with a smary blazer, new trousers (with labels on), lovely white shirts and school shoes.

Areas of need in Glasgow could benefit from this service.

Projections and Methods

2007 aim for £2000, awareness and kick start.
2007-2008 £12,000, push momentum
2008-2009 enjoy potential if realised of £20,000 and incalculable awareness raising.

Methods

• Create local action group with cascade groups in each school.
• The director of Education has been contacted, further correspondence is required and local councillors require canvassing.
• Build on our achievements and existing contacts with the schools who have already participated through planned involvement via parent councils etc.
• Engage school- "The outside in"- aim to bring the outside in for schools with natural link to Oxfam.We aim to offer skills as school speakers and cool planet educational links on recycling and the global agenda.
• Create the opportunity for p5-7 to take this on as a school enterprise.
• Engage with the local council, director of education and environment. Aim to replace rag bag scheme (benefiting private commerce)with Oxfam waste savers.

Lessons from the month of June

• Take heed of terminology, consider using reuse instead of recycle

• Have plenty of helpers.

• Good quality control is required,people need to see charity shops looking like develop retail shops if they are to compete and change values. We need to show smart fashionable good quality uniforms to take away the hand me down image.Consider school fashion show of recycled clothes.

• Gain as much publicity as possible through word of mouth, community groups, school assemblies, church services and the media and keep it going.

for goods for resale...

• There is not a new idea here. This is new packaging and co-ordination and response to the huge potential of making Oxfam the natural link in the curriculum-"The schools charity".
• The schools curriculum requires them to link, to bring the outside in and Oxfam is the natural link due to its recycling , global and ethical work.

Action Group

The action group

• must adhere to the aims and values of the initiative
• all proceeds are for the benefit of the Oxfam charity.
• The integrity of the original aims and objectives and values must remain in any action plans.
• There will be no change of direction for funding (except for the unlikely event that Oxfam refuses to accept funds.)

There are quicker ways in private industry to raise charitable funds. This initiative is also raising awareness and aims to instil ethical values in young people in the hope that they will grow up to care about their environment, the values in which they trade and so help to relieve poverty and suffering through the way they choose to live their life.

some press

I suggested to Liz that we contact the local paper The Extra for some publicity. I read up on the Oxfam website about writing a press release and David provided a write up which I felt mentioned myself too much. I wanted the focus on the children and the initiative.

I spoke to Jennifer Brophy at the local paper and she asked for some photos. I arranged with St Joseph's to go and photograph the two girls who had supported the scheme. At St Joseph's with the help of the girls we set up a scene in front of the eco committee wall and used lost property as uniform props.

I was now a photographer and I did my best. Later I took some pictures outside my children's school. However I waited until the other children had left so I did not accidentally photograph another child.The pictures were dispatched the same day. Everything was moving so fast.

The Building Blocks

I was delighted to arrive home from work to the phone ringing from the head teacher of St Joseph s primary school. She had received a note from two of her pupils asking to recycle uniforms for Oxfam and also my email.She said she would be involved and thanked me for the idea. She said the school always wondered what was the best way to deal with lost property. Since the school was undergoing building work there would not be an opportunity for donations to be brought to an assembly. We agreed that I would provide leaflets requesting donations were made directly to the local store.

Spurred by a positive result I decided to contact local churches for publicity. The minister at Netherlee Church agreed to put a request in her order of service and to put up leaflets in the church and the associated manse.A great result.What next?