As the cost of living has spiralled, parents are struggling more than ever to kit out their children with school uniforms.

A new uniform bank in Sale is offering a helping hand.

The ‘Great Big Uniform Drop Off’, recently launched in Sale’s Stanley Square, offers parents and guardians the opportunity to donate and collect new and pre-loved school uniforms for free.

The initiative - originally announced via Facebook - has been widely applauded, with the post racking up hundreds of likes and shares from appreciative local residents.

Tony Martin, centre manager, said: “I never expected to receive the amount of interest that we did, and the number of school uniforms that were dropped off – it was really well received."

Mr Martin, also a governor at Springfield Primary School, says the idea was borne out of a conversation with a worried parent of two.

He explained: “I always have my office door open.

"And this lady came in, and the conversation turned into how difficult she was finding it with the increase in the cost of living, and her utility bills.

"She was worried about how she would get her two children school uniforms.

“Off the back of that conversation, it started me thinking.”

After opening on August 15, Mr Martin says the response from the community was immediate.

He said: “From the minute we put the rails out, there was people there.

“As I say, I have the office door open, and I can hear people looking over, people that are passing by, saying what a fantastic idea.

"People are popping into the office and saying thank you for actually doing this.”

The drop-off provides uniforms for schools across Sale and Altrincham, including Loreto, Lime Tree, BTH, Moorlands and Springfield.

Non-branded items such as shirts and trousers are also available.

With huge demand for the clothing, however, Tony says that the stock has dwindled, and encourages people to donate if they can.

He said: “People can drop off uniforms at the management office on Market Walk, and we have got the rails just across the way, in a community space called Hiya.

“I was conscious of how I wanted it to look. I didn’t want clothes in baskets or boxes for people to rummage through. We are making sure they are clean, well pressed and presented well on hangars for people to have a look, to see what they want, and take what they want.”

Mr Martin was particularly impressed with an elderly resident who donated a decades-old school blazer, saying: “There was an elderly lady that came in. She said 'My daughter hasn’t worn this blazer for 38 years'.

"It was absolutely immaculate, a girls Loreto blazer. I put that out on a hanger and that pretty much went in 10 minutes. It looked absolutely brand new, brand new.”

According to the Children’s Society, the average cost annually for a school uniform is £337 per secondary school student and £315 per primary student.

Mr Martin hopes his initiative can help alleviate some of the financial pressure’s parents are facing.

He said: “If someone’s able to save money on not having to buy a blazer, or a pair of trousers or a skirt or a PE kit - if people are saving money on those kinds of items, they can look to spend it on utility bills, on food, or treating the kids with the money that would have gone on uniform.”