Luton Clothing Bank – Free clothes and shoes for people experiencing financial difficulty

Redistributing pre-loved clothes to people experiencing financial difficulty in Luton

A lot's changed since we launched Luton Clothing Bank in 2020. We've operated out of storage units with local distribution points, delivered pre-packed clothing to people's homes, and run drop-ins where people can come and choose their clothing.

Our aim remains the same - to help local people who are struggling by ensuring they have the basic provision of clothes and shoes.

We've always felt it important to remove as many barriers to this as possible, and that means not expecting people to detail their circumstances to us in order to access clothing. We now run a referral system for children's clothing and a drop-in for adults' sizes.

You can find details of these current projects by downloading the flyers below.

Timeline

Luton Clothing Bank Story

Launch

2020

We started Luton Clothing Bank in 2020 with the help of Discover Islam and Tokko who were donation and collection points. We were kindly given use of a building in the town centre, which meant we could take in a LOT of donations. Charity shops were closed so people couldn't donate clothes there, as were usual clothing shops so families couldn't buy clothes for growing children as easily. We distributed thousands of items of clothing and helped people who were in a range of circumstances. Lots of lessons were learnt!

Storage unit

2022

In 2022 we moved to a much smaller space in a local storage unit. We continued to distribute pre-packed children's and baby boxes through local organisations, and responded to direct requests for clothes in a similar way to before - packing the items and delivering them to a collection point for the family/individual to pick up.

Pop-up clothes shops

dec 2022

Moving out of the storage units and wanting to ensure the clothes were still redistributed for free back into the community, we ran two pop-up clothes shops where thousands of items were given out to hundreeds of local people.

Warm spaces with winter clothes pop-up

Jan, Feb and March 2023

Working with Hightown Baptist Church and The Raise Up Foundation, we offered two warm spaces which had a footfall of 500+ over three months. We offered winter coats and jumpers and also ran a toy giveaway.

Lutonkind-Kids

Mar 2023 - Feb 2024

We merged with the previous Kids/Baby Bank to form Lutonkind-Kids, and with the support of Stopsley Baptist Church we're able to offer both a space for storage and for families to come and choose not just clothes and shoes, but also toys and books too. Thanks to Bedfordshire and Luton's Community Foundation's Small Grants Fund, we we're able to employ our first part-time staff member!

Community Fun Day with free clothes pop-up

April 2023

A completely free event for 300+ refugees and people from low income families to enjoy the sense of community, food and games over the Eid period. We also offered a free clothes pop-up to those who attended.

Drop-in for free adults' clothes

Jan 2024 - July 2024

Thanks to funding from the governments Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund via The National Lottery, and local organisations Grow Your Potential and Al-Hikmah Boys School, we were able to relaunch an ongoing clothing provision for adults - finally in a space we could use 24/7 and which families and individuals could come and browse for the clothing they need.

Free and affordable kids clothes with NOAH

Jan 2024 - Oct 2025

Thanks to the generosity of local charity NOAH Enterprise, and funding from the Community Organisations Cost of Living Fund and Bedfordshire, Luton's Community Foundation's Frank Branston Fund, and Utilita Giving, we continued our children's clothing provision and supported 564 children through this model. Family Workers and other professional referred families and gave them a gift card - either for a £2 or free clothing bundle in the size they need. These were redeemed at NOAH's charity shop in town where we are based.

Raise Up Cafe

January 2026 - Ongoing

We're excited to launch the Raise Up Cafe in partnership with The Raise Up Foundation, at their centre in the Saints area of Luton. We'll provide free baby and children's clothes within a free community cafe, open to everyone.

Pre-loved clothes to