Last week I received a letter from the School Kit Project (SKiP), a local charity which serves those living in Bath and North East Somerset.

The charity's focus is to help families experiencing financial hardship by supplying school-related items, such as uniform and bags for their children.

Their aim is to help children to feel equal among their peers and to reach their full potential at school.

SKiP was established in 2019 in response to its trustees witnessing deprivation in schools and recognising the difficulty that some families experience in bearing the cost of school uniform.

While many items of cheaper generic uniform are available, many schools require some specific items which can only be purchased at specialist shops.

School uniform is important in creating a sense of community and belonging, and ensuring that children feel equal to their peers in terms of appearance.

SKiP works hard to reduce the alienation that some children feel because they have no choice but to wear ill-fitting or incorrect uniform to school, which in turn has been shown to lead to poor attendance and lower educational attainment for children from deprived backgrounds.

If you, or anyone that you know, needs such assistance, SKiP takes referrals from agencies including schools, Bath and North East Somerset Council, Southside, Mentoring Plus, the St John's Foundation and the Julian House domestic violence team. Further details can be found on their website: http://theskip.org/

If you need to contact me about any issue or for assistance I am here to help and constituents can contact my office by email: [email protected].