A new, permanent shop stocking pre-loved school uniform is open at the Root and Rise Community Hub in Queensgate Shopping Centre in Peterborough.
- Donate your unwanted, good quality school uniform
- Swap for different sizes, styles or school brands
- Take the school uniform items you need
All items are free of charge for families.
Recipient of a Bronze Local Government Chronicle Award - read more below.
Location and opening times
- Root and Rise, located on the Queensgate Upper Level, opposite JD Sports and next to New Look and Primark
- General opening hours - Mondays to Saturdays between 10am and 5pm, Sundays between 10:30am and 3pm
School uniform items accepted
We accept:
- Primary and secondary school items for ages 4 to 16 years in different sizes
- Uniform with and without school logos
- Jumpers, sweatshirts, blazers, cardigans, blouses, shirts, tops, polo shirts, trousers, skirts and dresses
- PE kit
- Coats and winter gear such as hats, scarves and gloves
- School bags and lunch boxes
Please note we do not accept shoes.
All items donated must be in good condition and be clean / washed.
We welcome donations from families, schools, community groups and retailers. All donations are gratefully received and will help children in need access affordable school uniforms.
Please note there may be a temporary pause of donations if there is a surplus of stock.
Find your nearest donation box
- NatWest Bank, Cathedral Square, Peterborough PE1 1XH
- Funeral Care Eye High Street, Eye, Peterborough, PE6 7UU
- Orton Co-op, 5 Parkway, PE2 5TD
- Yaxley Co-op, Bentley Ave, Yaxley, Peterborough PE7 3ZT
- Co-op Funeralcare, Eye, High Street, Eye, Peterborough, PE6 7UU
- Co-op Funeralcare, Peterborough, 2 Midgate, Peterborough, PE1 1TN
- Co-op Food, Hampton Gardens Co-op, 1 Waterhouse Way, Hampton Gardens, Peterborough, PE7 8SJ
- Howden Insurance, 40 Long Causeway, Peterborough, PE1 1YJ
- GP Print, 8 Challenger Way, Edgerley Business Park, Edgerley Drain Road, Peterborough, PE1 5EX
- Hickory's Smokehouse, 2 Kempley Close, Hampton, PE7 8QH
- Sostrene Grenes, Queensgate Centre
We also have donation boxes in 50 secondary and primary schools across the city. If your school currently doesn't have a donation box and would like to order one, please email recycling@peterborough.gov.uk.
Donations are also accepted at the Second Chance School Uniform Shop in Queensgate.
Second Chance Uniform Shop Co-op Members Reward Card
Collect a stamp each time you donate, swap or take school uniform items to earn a gift from 'Our Co-op' and 'Co-op Group'.
The Second Chance Uniform Shop Co‑op Members Reward Card is available exclusively at the Second Chance School Uniform Shop located in Queensgate.
How the Co‑op reward card works:
Visitors will receive a reward card when taking part in the scheme at the Second Chance Uniform Shop. Each time you:
- Donate school uniform
- Swap items
- Take part in reuse activities
you will receive a stamp or reward on your card.
Please note: only Second Chance Uniform Shop staff can issue stamps.
Once you have collected 7 stamps, you can redeem incentives such as bags or products. Rewards may vary depending on availability at the time you visit.
Together, we’re helping local families, reducing textile waste, and making a positive difference for people and the planet.
How the idea came about and the partners involved
The Second Chance School Uniform Shop is a community collaborative initiative run by RB7 Art CIC, Peterborough City Council, Central Co-op and Co-op Group and supported by Queensgate.
The shop is held in partnership with and hosted at Roots and Rise, the vibrant community hub led by artist Roland Burt from Djiboart - RB7 Art Centre CIC - which is dedicated to empowering the local community through arts, education and social action.
The initial project came about following the idea in Danielle's manifesto which concentrated on the high costs of school uniform. This is combined with the message of sustainability and protecting the environment from our Recycling Education Team with their experience at Swish events, supported by our Education and Communities teams.
In July 2025, our Recycling Education Team hosted a one-day school uniform swap event at Queensgate Shopping Centre. It proved so successful that the decision was made to open a full-time shop.
The idea was encouraged and supported by Roland, who saw our event in the summer and shared his passion for helping families in need and the cost of school uniform.
Thank you to Co-Op who have supported with funding the shop set-up.
How donating unwanted school uniform helps the environment
Donating and swapping school uniform helps the environment. Textile pollution in the UK involves significant amounts of waste sent to landfill or incineration. According to WRAP, an estimated 711,000 tonnes of post-consumer textiles is discarded in general waste annually. This waste generates greenhouse gases and contaminates soil and water with microplastics and chemicals. A large portion of the UK's textile waste is also exported to other countries.
If you want to know about how to reduce, reuse, recycle or correctly dispose of unwanted clothes, bedding, towels etc, visit our clothes and textile waste page for more ideas.
Recipient of a Bronze Local Government Chronicle Award
Our Waste and Recycling Team is celebrating after taking home the Bronze award in the Environmental Services category at this year's prestigious Local Government Chronicle (LGC) Awards.
The national recognition spotlights the incredible impact of our Recycling Education Team, who partnered with the RB7 Arts Centre CIC, The Co-op and our Communities Team to host the free school uniform shop at Roots and Rise. By giving pre-loved school uniforms a second life, the initiative not only provided vital cost-of-living support to local families, but also diverted significant textile waste from landfill.
This award highlights the power of community-focused environmental projects and reinforces Peterborough's commitment to building a sustainable, circular economy.
Contact
To contact Roots and Rise Community Hub directly, please email info@djiboart.co.uk.
For large stock donations or school liaison, please contact our Recycling Education Team at recycling@peterborough.gov.uk.