Our magnificent Uniform Exchange volunteers have been highly praised by the King’s representative in West Yorkshire after he presented us with a top royal honour.
Uniform Exchange has now received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service – the equivalent of an MBE – for the outstanding work done by our volunteers to provide free second-hand school uniform to anyone who needs it throughout Kirklees, including some of the most deprived areas in the UK.
Demand is always soaring and we helped more than 11,000 children in 2024, giving them 100,000 items of school uniform.
We now have a team of more that 30 volunteers led by our founder Kate France who is our voluntary project director.
We formally received the stunning crystal award and certificate from HM Lord Lt of West Yorkshire Ed Anderson, CBE, who told Kate and the volunteers: “The scale and quality of what you do is incredible. I’ve presented around 60 of these awards and what I inevitably find is that the organisation is led by an individual bursting with creativity, determination and energy.
“They have a magic something about them that makes people want to follow them and we have that at Uniform Exchange with Kate France.
“This is an award for everybody – all the volunteers and everyone associated with this amazing organisation. Congratulations to Kate, all the trustees and everyone else who believes in this charity and its wonderful team.”
Chair of trustees Karen Hobson added: “Kate’s vision and passion to serve this community is immense. She is the chief volunteer who gives every ounce of her energy to the charity.”
Volunteers also run the charity’s fundraising shop on its Burbeary Road site which is simply called The Charity Shop.
Kate said: “I see the hard work all our volunteers do day in and day out to help thousands of families struggling financially across Kirklees.
“They do it with a smile, a determination and a passion to ensure that every child receives what they need to fully integrate into school which is such a critical foundation in their lives.
“This award is for our volunteers, a testament to all the countless hours they put in to help others and a fantastic recognition that their work is truly appreciated. I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to each and every one of them, past and present, on behalf of all the thousands of families they’ve helped.
“They make a real, tangible difference to the quality of people’s lives and that’s what community charities are all about, selflessly helping others.”
Uniform Exchange volunteer Deborah Rawcliffe said: “I wanted to support a service that helps others and school uniform is so desperately needed by people struggling to afford it. The cost of buying a full set of school uniform is ridiculous and simply unaffordable for people in dire straits who really need the help Uniform Exchange can provide.”
The event was held at Cathedral House, the home of Huddersfield Christian Fellowship on St Thomas’ Road in Huddersfield.