Help with clothing

This article aims to give you information on where you can get support and help to get free, cheap and second hand clothes at an affordable cost.

Clothes and household items

Cornerstone Benwell Shop (preloved clothing and homeware) open Wednesdays and Thursdays. All items are 50p. This shop is outside and doesn’t open in bad weather. Check their Facebook page for updates.

Lemington Methodist Church hosts The Clothes Bar on Tuesdays 9.30am to 11.30am.  You can collect free clothing, shoes and school uniform for children in Lemington 0 to 12 years.

St. Vincent’s Centre Newcastle (Blackfriars Centre) run a Clothing Support Service on Thursdays 12pm to 3pm. You can arrange an appointment where a volunteer will support you. You can collect free clothing, household items, toiletries and toys.

Pop-up community market at St. Vincent’s Centre Newcastle (Blackfriars Centre, every Thursday 12.30pm to 3.30pm with a warm space with some free or cheap items. Clothes and shoes available from £1. Any 12 grocery items for £5. There’s a tombola, hot drinks, soup and snacks.

Families 1st – North Newcastle Food Bank provide affordable second hand items such as clothes, furniture and mother and baby packs to people in need. You can buy at a low cost, collect items for free or donate your unwanted items. This part of their service is called Preloved CIC.

Tabitha’s Place help people in Benwell and the surrounding areas. They provide free clothing for children aged 0 to 12 years. Open Mondays 11am to 1pm at The Sanctuary at Gateway Church. Hot drinks and cake are available too.

The Thrift Shop offers cheap clothing and other household goods on Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10 am to 2 pm

Embells Community Support offer Gateshead residents cheap clothing on Fridays.

Charity shops including Oxfam, British Heart Foundation, PDSA in the City Centre and others across the wider area, provide second hand clothing at affordable prices.

The Wardrobe at The Newbridge Project is a second clothing resource for trans, non-binary and genderqueer people. They collect donations of clothing and provide a safe space to try them on. Book an appointment online.

Babies and children

Grassboots supports children who need it most with new or nearly new footwear. To enable them to participate in grass roots sport, outdoor play, school and other activities.

Growbaby  at Heaton Baptist Church provide free clothes, toys and equipment for babies and children up to age 5.

Childrens school wear

The Community School Clothing Scheme has stocks of good quality second hand uniform with logos for schools in Newcastle. They also have PE kits, coats, special occasion wear, including wedding dresses. Check their Facebook page.

Lemington Methodist Church hosts The Clothes Bar on Tuesdays 9.30am to 11.30am.  You can collect free school uniform for children in Lemington 0 to 12 years.

YMCA Newcastle have a school uniform bank where you can donate uniform. They pass it on to families who need it.

Interview and work clothes

Suitability support men looking for work who need clothes for the interview.

Smart Works supports women who are looking for a job and have an interview. They offer coaching, clothes for the interview and you can keep the outfit if you are successful.

Newcastle City Council’s Crisis Support Scheme can provide help with interview clothing to people who have experienced crisis or disaster.

Second Hand clothing

Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Nextdoor, Preloved and Gumtree sell second hand clothing. Free cycle and Freegle offer free clothing to collect or trade. Read more about shopping online and staying safe online.

Refugees and asylum seekers

The West End Refugee Service (WERS) run a clothing store for asylum seekers and refugees in need.

Modern Slavery

The Salvation Army’s Survivors Support Fund  formerly known as the Victim Care Fund, provides a support grant to survivors of modern slavery. It can be used to pay for clothing including school uniform for children or work clothing and equipment

Grants and support from charities

Charities have some funding available to help people in need to buy essential items.

Turn2us helps you find funds and grants to apply for when you need money for essential things in life. This could be help to buy: furniture, household items, white goods, equipment to help you live independently, electrical items, studying, bringing up children, experiencing life changing circumstances and more. They have a telephone helpline, benefits calculator and online information.

Last updated: March 20, 2024