A North Yorkshire clothing charity that supported more than 10,000 individuals last year has received a significant financial boost. The Clothing Bank provides essential clothing and other items in high-quality, seven-day packs to meet the urgent needs of children, young people, and adults in crisis. The charity has built a network of over 100 drop-off points for pre-loved clothes across the county, managed by a dedicated team of volunteers.
Grant Details
The £2,000 grant from the Banks Group’s Banks Community Fund is being used to purchase additional items, including coats for children and adults, waterproof or warm footwear, nightwear, new underwear and socks in all sizes, plus-size items, and school essentials such as polo shirts and bags. These items will supplement donations and allow for dozens more clothing packs to be assembled and distributed to those in need, as the charity works to meet ever-growing community demands.
Origins and Growth
The Clothing Bank was founded in 2020 by friends Susan Bell and Sally Parkinson, who identified a gap in support for those struggling to afford clothes, drawing on their own personal experiences of living in poverty. The charity started with a few volunteer drop-off points between friends’ houses in and around North Yorkshire. As demand grew rapidly, Susan and Sally established the Clothing Bank Cabin in Brotherton within a year to stock items for future seasons and plan more effectively. Any garments that cannot be repurposed are sent for recycling, with proceeds helping to cover running costs. Most of the charity’s work is carried out across Yorkshire, but it also accepts requests for help from anywhere in the country.
Co-founder’s Perspective
Co-founder Sally Parkinson said: “We knew there was a real need for this sort of help in our community, so we set up The Clothing Bank to ensure that anyone in a difficult situation had somewhere to turn without needing a referral or going through official channels. Clothing really does open doorways for people that might otherwise remain closed, and we know from the stories we hear just how much of a difference our help makes. We’ve built a fantastic community that supports our work, with almost 120,000 followers on Facebook alone, and our brilliant team of volunteers does amazing work to ensure donations reach our central hub quickly. We receive and process tens of thousands of items every year, which helps give pre-loved clothes a new lease of life and reduces clothing going to landfill. Grants like this one from the Banks Group have a practical impact, giving us the flexibility to buy extra items we know we’ll need, especially over winter, and they also give us confidence that our work is important enough to have won their support.”
Developer’s Support
The Banks Group is behind plans for a landmark integrated extension to the west of Eggborough, delivering up to 1,500 new homes, enhanced local transport links, assisted living units, new areas of accessible public open space, other local services, and environmental benefits. Jamilah Hassan, community relations manager at the Banks Group, added: “The Clothing Bank shows how much tangible impact grassroots charities can have with the right ideas and team. The huge difference it’s made to thousands of local people’s lives in just six years is truly amazing, and we’re very pleased to play a part in its next chapter. We’ve been working with the local community around Eggborough for more than five years and have so far provided over £20,000 in grant funding to fantastic local charities, groups, and schools.” Anyone from a community close to a Banks Group project interested in applying for funding should contact the company via its website enquiry form to check eligibility.
