Cat’s Wardrobe offers free clothing to Tameside’s care-experienced young people

Care-experienced young people can access free, good-quality clothing through Cat’s Wardrobe.

The sustainable clothing project was relaunched on 18 March at the People Place in Tameside One, celebrating the stories of the young people the Wardrobe has already supported and encouraging others to utilise the scheme.

Coordinated by Tameside Council staff, as part of the Children’s Services refreshed Community Parent Strategy, the initiative seeks to empower care-experienced people aged 16-21 by offering access to a variety of free clothing that will boost self-esteem. It also provides volunteering opportunities at the Wardrobe to support them in valuable employment experience.

It was originally launched as the Wardrobe Project last year and has now been renamed in honour of Cat, a passionate advocate for care-experienced young people who played a key role in launching and promoting the Wardrobe. Cat was the communications brain behind the project, organising photos and writing the piece that sold the idea to everyone.

Cat wanted all care experienced young people to know that help was available if needed and became a driving force in promoting the project. She continued to write articles asking for donations and without her it would not have had the impact it will have today and in the future.

The accessible scheme is based at Ashton Old Library and encourages a cycle of giving, with some of the young people donating back into the project. Visitors to the Wardrobe can take home up to five items, as well as having the option to trade their own second-hand clothing for more pieces.

Cat’s Wardrobe is a welcoming, safe space where young people can browse a range of options, with no judgement or stigma. To access the Wardrobe, they should speak with their personal advisor from the Leaving Care Team or social worker or complete the form here: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=W2pygyYfQkKWfoHUxLihO0HE26VPZCdItT6EWSzKQW1UN1hBSDdGU01GSlVFNlpUWVUwRVQ2UEJZMiQlQCN0PWcu&origin=QRCode&route=shorturl.

The team is appealing for age-appropriate donations of good quality clothing, especially casualwear like hoodies and jumpers. They are also looking for more male clothing.

Donations can be dropped off at the People Place (Ashton Library, Tameside One, OL6 6BH) every first Tuesday of the month from 2pm to 4pm.

A young person who has been supported by the Wardrobe said: “This project is really helpful because I donated some clothes that I got given out of desperation because I didn’t have anything and then I was able to pick some clothes that was able to fit my style and express myself more.

“I think this is a really good idea because it gave me more of an idea of clothes that I actually liked and it has a good sense of community.

“I enjoy helping and my time is shown to be valued and appreciated.”

Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Children and Families, Cllr Teresa Smith said: “Cat’s Wardrobe is a fantastic example of how we can support our care-experienced young people with dignity, choice and compassion. Having access to good-quality clothing can make a real difference to confidence and wellbeing.

“I’m incredibly proud of the dedication from everyone who has brought this initiative to life and is continuing Cat’s legacy. I encourage our community to get involved, whether by donating clothing or spreading the word to those who may benefit.

“Give your clothes a second life and help a young person start their own.”