DON'T LET THEM GO COLD THIS WINTER
One in five UK parents struggle to afford the costs of sending their child to school.
175,000 school children across the UK could be without a warm winter coat this year.
Without a warm coat, children will struggle to learn and play. For thousands of parents, the cost of basics their children need for school is simply too much.
But you can help us keep children warm and dry this winter.
OUR AIM
Parentkind research has shown that - for parents in poverty - the cost of school represents between a fifth and a quarter of their disposable income. And the cost of clothing and uniform is one of the biggest worries parents report to us.
Without proper clothing, children face more than the bitter cold. They risk illness, missed school days, difficulty concentrating and isolation from friends.
Last winter, thanks to generous supporters like you, we delivered 10,000 winter coats to families in need through our network. The impact was powerful—94% of parents said the coat made a real difference, and 75% saw their child playing and socialising more confidently.
But the need remains urgent.
Research shows 175,000 children could be without a winter coat this year. We know demand is higher than ever and, with your support, we aim to protect 10,000 vulnerable children before the first frost falls.
We represent 13,000 PTAs across the UK, plus a further 9,000 schools and parent councils. We know that every community has different needs, and believe parents and schools have a powerful opportunity to work together to meet those needs. Every group does things differently, to serve their school and build a thriving community.
WORKING WITH SCHOOLS
Our network of parent volunteers understand the need within their communities. PTAs and parent councils work with schools to identify quantities and sizes required and hand over to the school to discretely and confidentially distribute the coats to the families who need them.
A leading programme for so many PTAs is the uniform recycling scheme, widely used by all backgrounds of parents and their children. Adding winter coats to that, helps benefit those in need this year, and the following years as they recycle through with reliability and endurance.
Choosing equity over equality in ensuring that a PTA can support its school to bring every child to the same level of readiness to learn and play, benefiting all. Helping those children that are disadvantaged have the same opportunities as everyone else leads to a richer environment.
In 2025 Parentkind have commissioned our very own design, the ultimate school coat that fuses style with function and practical features to support children and parents alike. The design is aspirational – a coat that children and young people will want to wear – tapping into the enduring trend for outwear inspired by outdoor pursuits and adventure. The coat is not available on the high street, but would retail at an estimated £70
It is warm, waterproof and has practical features such as reflective strips for safety in the winter low light conditions. The design is neutral and unisex, designed to blend in while offering a style that works for ages 5-16.
We are calling on our supporters and the business community to enable us to provide this high-quality coat to as many children from low-income families as possible this winter.
It costs Parentkind £25 to provide each coat, but with a contribution of £10 per coat coming from local funding, a gift of just £15 can ensure a child receives a brand new coat they will be proud to wear.
THE COATS
Parents have the greatest influence on their children’s ability to enjoy learning, achieve at school and reach their potential. But all too often parents are not recognised as vital partners in education, and do not get the right support to help them meaningfully participate in their children’s education. Parentkind empowers anyone with parental or educational responsibility to improve the life chances of children and young people, and build thriving communities We support parents with the challenges they face – providing information, resources and training so they can support their children’s learning at home and at school. We build parent-friendly schools improving their approach to parental engagement through training, and an accreditation programme. By helping schools to identify and implement changes, we improve attendance, behaviour, and educational outcomes. We are the voice of parents in education, advocating for parental involvement in education and policy-making, and ensuring parents’ voices are heard. We carry out research to understand parents’ perspectives on education and the wider challenges their families face. Our National Parent Survey is the largest annual parent poll in the UK. We support 22,000 member PTAs, schools and parent councils across the UK, with reach into 75% of UK schools. We empower our network of 200,000 parent-volunteers to make an enormous impact, raising £130m annually to enhance the educational opportunities available in their schools and meet the needs of their school community. We distribute funds and resources – like coats and other items that families need to boost our members’ local impact.We want to make sure that these coats reach the children who need them most. That's why the coats are available to registered PTAs who are members with Parentkind, as we trust them to make the best decisions that benefit their school. |
About Parentkind
HOW IT WORKS
We want to make sure that these coats reach the children who need them most. That's why the coats are available to registered PTAs who are members with Parentkind, as we trust them to make the best decisions that benefit their school. |
FAQ
The No Cold Child campaign is made possible by our incredible partners:
Parentkind is a national charity representing almost 13,000 Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) that together help to raise £171m per year for UK schools and children.
FatFace is a British lifestyle clothing brand with 200 UK stores retailing responsibly sourced clothing and has a highly engaged social community.
The Guinness Partnership are a housing association that are committed to the communities they serve and have made a generous £20,000 donation to the programme.
OUR PARTNERS
