SGN colleagues are supporting local families by volunteering at HIVE Portsmouth’s Great Uniform Giveaway, which helps children across the city start the new school year with confidence.
The community event, held at Central Library, provides families with access to a wide range of free pre-loved and non-branded school uniform items, helping to ease the financial pressures many households face ahead of the new academic year.
Families are able to choose from a variety of essential school clothing, including tops and jumpers, trousers and skirts, dresses and cardigans, PE kits, socks and tights. By giving quality uniform items a second life, the initiative also promotes sustainability and reduces textile waste.
A team of volunteers from gas network SGN supported the most recent event on the day, working alongside HIVE Portsmouth’s Community Team to help set up the venue, welcome families, and sort and distribute uniforms to those who need them most.
The volunteering day was part of SGN’s Community Action Programme (CAP), which encourages colleagues to make a positive difference in the communities they serve. The CAP initiative gives SGN’s 4,500 colleagues a day of company time each year to support a community organisation or charity of their choice.
Emma Lucas, Director of Operational Support at SGN, said: “Access to school uniform can make a real difference to children’s confidence and readiness to learn, and we’re proud that our colleagues can play a small part in making that happen by supporting HIVE Portsmouth’s Great Uniform Giveaway. Through our Community Action Programme, colleagues have the opportunity to give back to causes that matter to them and their local communities.”
Catherine Ramsay, Deputy Chief Officer at HIVE Portsmouth, said: “The Great Uniform Giveaway provides an important source of support for local families while encouraging people to reuse and recycle quality school uniform. We’re incredibly grateful to SGN colleagues for volunteering their time to help make the event possible and ensure families receive a warm welcome and the support they need.”
