A new, permanent shop stocking pre-loved school uniform is due to 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.
Location and opening times
- Root and Rise, located on the Queensgate Upper Level, opposite JD Sports and next to New Look and Primary
- Officially launches on Wednesday 5 November 2025 at 2pm
- General opening hours - Mondays to Saturdays between 10am and 5pm, Sundays between 10am and 4pm
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
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.
How the idea came about and the partners involved
The Second Chance School Uniform Shop is a community collaborative initiative supported by Peterborough City Council, Peterborough Youth Council, Co-Op and Peterborough Youth MP Danielle Daboh.
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.
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.