Cress delivers Nottingham scheme covering 113 schools with free items for eligible families
Families in Nottingham can access second hand school uniform from 50p, with free items for eligible households, through a council funded programme covering 113 schools.
Nottingham City Council has funded the programme with Cress as its delivery partner. Participating schools offer online uniform shops through Cress and can issue codes allowing eligible families to obtain items free of charge.
The Cress team is on the ground in Nottingham, visiting schools and providing every participating school with personal support to get its uniform shop up and running. Schools covered by the council funded programme can still join free of charge, with Cress taking care of the setup.
The service is designed to help families throughout the school year, including when children outgrow clothing or join a school after September.
The programme comes as families look for ways to reduce school clothing bills. Research published by Worldpanel by Numerator in September found that 44% of surveyed households prioritised keeping uniform costs low, even if that meant some compromise on quality.
Cress prides itself on quality checking every single item, ensuring families don't feel they are compromising on quality despite saving money.
Commenting on Nottingham City Council's funding of the programme delivered by Cress, Councillor Sulcan Mahmood, Executive Member for Employment, Education and Skills at Nottingham City Council, said:
"School uniform is an expense that can put real pressure on family budgets, particularly when children grow out of clothing so quickly. Through our additional funding, we're helping Nottingham families access affordable uniform throughout the school year, with free items available to those who need additional support.
"This is a practical way to support families while helping schools raise funds and making good use of clothing that still has plenty of life left in it. We'd encourage parents and carers to speak to their child's school to find out what's available and how to access support."
The scheme also supports the new school uniform rules under the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 that came into force in September, and Department for Education guidance says schools should make second hand uniform accessible to families. Cress gives schools a simple way to do exactly that, with one shop open to every family at the school, including those whose children are starting next year.
Carl Morris, Co Founder and CEO of Cress, said:
"Every child deserves to walk into school feeling that they belong. No child should feel different or excluded because their family is struggling to afford the uniform they need."
Katherine Molyneux, Co Founder and COO of Cress, who is personally leading implementation with participating schools, said:
"The feedback from the schools I've met has been wonderful. Working directly with each school means we can see the real difference Cress is making for families and school communities. Schools want to help their families and having a practical way to make affordable uniform available throughout the year is making a real impact. What makes this particularly rewarding is that the benefits stay within the community. Families save money, schools can generate income and clothing that still has plenty of life left in it is used again."
Schools keep the proceeds from donated uniform sales. Cress dashboards record family savings, school income and garments reused alongside estimates of carbon savings, water savings and textile waste avoided. Lessons, assemblies and supervised pupil shop activities help children learn about reuse. The same shop serves the whole school community, aiming to reduce stigma and support inclusion and belonging.
Parents and carers should contact their child's school for its Cress shop link, available stock and details of free support. They can also check whether their school is participating at www.wearecress.com.
ENDS
Notes to editors
Cress is the trading name of Morhill Ltd. Cress is a Manchester based business providing online uniform shops and tools for schools to record sales and reuse activity. Its wider offer includes sustainability education resources.
The 113 school figure describes the council funded programme's coverage. It is not a count of shops currently trading. Access depends on school participation and available stock. The 50p starting price refers to individual items.
Worldpanel's survey covered 991 households. Fieldwork ran from 24 August to 7 September 2026. The findings were published on 15 September 2026.
Worldpanel by Numerator research source
Department for Education guidance on the cost of school uniforms
Interview and school visit requests can be made through Cress, subject to school and family permission.
Morhill Ltd t/a Cress contat Co-Founder & CEO Carl Morris carl@wearecress.com 07795415622
