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Clothes bank will help people to help people


By Kirsty Brown

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A TEAM from the new Ythan Valley Rotary Club will today launch a clothing service to help those in need within their community.

After being the first new Rotary Club in the UK in the 2019-20 year, the clothes bank will be another achievement for the group as they will be the first Rotary in the north-east to launch such a project.

Following a feasibility study and a number of meetings with professionals from the health service, education and the local food bank, a team of four from Ythan Valley Rotary is progressing with creating a free clothing service.

In the form of a clothes bank clean clothes which are in good condition will be made available in 'bespoke' clothes packs to those families, individuals and groups who have found themselves in a situation where a set of good and clean clothes would help through a difficult time, whatever that may be.

The process for operating this service is simple - those finding themselves in such need can access it via Ellon Food Bank, or through the Health Visitors based at Ellon and Haddo Health Centres or through Ellon Academy.

Using the professionals as the channel for referrals, the Ythan Valley team will make up the clothing packs on request and ensure that they reach the professionals as quickly as possible.

The professionals will disburse the clothes packs and the anonymity of all parties will be preserved.

Ythan Valley Rotary Club have launched a clothes bank to benefit local communities. Picture: Phil Harman
Ythan Valley Rotary Club have launched a clothes bank to benefit local communities. Picture: Phil Harman

The key to the success of all of this was a storage facility, and this was where Methlick Parish Church came to the rescue with the offer of a store belonging to the church.

Session clerk Colin Presly said: “This is a super opportunity for Methlick Church to work with Ythan Valley Rotary which has identified a hidden need in our local communities.”

The clothes bank team is now calling on the good will of the local communities by asking people to contribute clean clothes, which are in good condition, to enable it to create clothes packs for those who come through the professionals’ referral system.

Clothes to suit all ages - except baby clothes, shoes and school uniforms - will be welcome.

Ellon Food Bank’s Karen Butchart said: “We will be really delighted to receive clothes for the clothes bank between 10am and noon on Mondays and Fridays at our HQ on Station Road in Ellon.

"It has the potential to become a great service.”

A spokesperson for Ythan Valley Rotary said: “Apart from going a little way to maintaining people’s dignity through whatever crisis they may find themselves in, this service also offers the opportunity to recycle clothes, and because we are firmly supportive of the need to reduce plastics we shall be using recyclable packaging whenever we can.

"We look forward to our local communities supporting us as we launch this service.”


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