Free School Uniform in Ealing: Reserve Online, Collect Free

Ealing families can now browse the council’s free school uniform stock online, reserve what they need and pick it up at no cost. The click-and-collect service started this week.

Ealing Council has put its donated uniform on Uniformd, a free online marketplace for second-hand school uniform. The council announced the partnership on 15 October. It says it is the first local authority in the UK to list free uniform stock on the platform.

How to get uniform

The stock is listed on the council’s Uniformd page. You reserve the items, choose a collection point, and collect them for free.

There are two collection points for online orders so far. The opening times are from the project’s own page on ActforEaling:

The council says more collection points will be added across the borough. ActforEaling will carry the up-to-date list.

ReActon is next to Magenta Storage and opposite the Stone and Ceramic Warehouse.

If you would rather turn up in person

The online shop sits alongside the walk-in hubs, which carry on as before. At these you can take up to five items per child, and all the project asks is that you say what you took.

• Greenford Library hub, Oldfield Lane South: Tuesday 11am to 5pm, Wednesday 10am to 2pm, Thursday 1pm to 5pm.
• ReActon Hub, Acton: the same Monday and Friday hours as above.
• Southall pop-up, outside Manor House Grounds, The Green, UB2 4BJ: Saturday 31 October and Saturday 28 November, 10am to 12 noon. It runs on the last Saturday of each month.

What is on the rails depends on what has been donated, so check Greenford Library’s website for its current hours before you go.

What the project has done so far

The scheme is run by Ealing Council and West London Waste Authority. It began in August 2025, collecting unwanted uniform and passing it on through hubs and pop-up events.

The council’s figures for the project so far:

• more than 265 families supported
• more than 800 uniform items kept out of the bin
• almost 2 tonnes of carbon emissions saved
• more than 330,000 litres of water conserved

Stock covers branded and unbranded primary and secondary uniform. That includes shirts, skirts, trousers, jumpers, sportswear, shoes and school bags.

Councillor Dominic Moffitt, the council’s cabinet member for climate action, said: “We know how quickly children grow out of school uniform and that buying replacements can be another cost for families. By putting our free uniform stock online, residents will be able to see what is available and choose the items they need before making the journey to collect them.”

Anna Wright, founder of Uniformd, said the company was proud to be helping provide “high quality, pre-loved uniform to the families in their borough”.

The announcement was timed for Circular Economy Week.

What it means for you

If your child has had a growth spurt since September, you no longer need to make a trip to find out whether the right size is in stock. Check the listing first, reserve it, then collect.

The cost is real. The project page cites The Children’s Society’s “Wrong Blazer” survey, which found parents spent an average of £337 a year on secondary school uniform and £315 on primary.

Before buying new, check whether your child’s school runs its own pre-loved sale. Many do.

How to donate

The project needs clean, good-quality uniform that children have outgrown, plus school bags, shoes and clothes hangers. You can drop them at any of these collection points:

• Greenford Library, Oldfield Lane South, UB6 9LG
• Northfields Community Library, Northfield Avenue, W5 4UA
• Northolt Library, Church Road, UB5 5AS
• Perivale Community Hive and Library, Horsenden Lane South, UB6 7NT
• ReActon, Stirling Road, Acton, W3 8DJ
• Southall Library and Dominion Centre, 112 The Green, UB2 4BQ

Larger household items go to the tip instead: see our Ealing recycling centre opening times. For holiday dates, see Ealing school term dates.