Pop-up shop helping families get school savvy

The financial burden of getting kids back-to-school ready will be lifted for many local families thanks to School Savvy NQ’s annual pop-up shop which is now open at Centacare NQ’s Townsville location.

Running for the third consecutive year, School Savvy NQ is a back-to-school resources initiative which provides preloved uniforms and basic stationery at extremely low costs for families feeling the pinch from the rising cost of living.

Director – Client Services at Centacare NQ, Stephen Burrowes, says the response from the community for donations of preloved uniforms and stationery items has been excellent and will help alleviate the financial pressure on North Queensland families preparing their kids for the new school year.

“This year’s campaign has seen thousands of uniform items donated that will go a long way to ensuring students across Townsville do not miss out on essential back-to-school items to start the year,” Mr Burrowes said.

“The pop-up shop has proven itself to be a valuable resource for members of the local community to access affordable uniforms and supplies for their kids.”

Already on the first day of operation for 2022. School Savvy has seen over 70 families purchasing back-to-school items at 410 Ross River Road, Cranbrook.

The School Savvy NQ pop-up shop is a 100 percent community funded initiative with the total of all sales reinvested back into the program. Mr Burrowes said that the success of the program relies on the support of the local community and businesses.

“Last year, School Savvy NQ assisted over 2,000 students across Townsville and the Burdekin with affordable uniform and stationery items. We anticipate that even more families across the region will be utilising the School Savvy NQ pop-up shops this year as budgets get tighter and the cost of living continues to rise,” Mr Burrowes continued.

“The support of our corporate partners, Queensland Country Bank, Tosco Office National and the Vinnies Stores Queensland is integral to School Savvy’s success. Through financial sponsorship, stationery donations, donation points and volunteers who staff the pop-up shop, their support has been invaluable.”

Queensland Country Bank Chief Executive Officer, Aaron Newman, said the bank is proud to be supporting the School Savvy NQ program for a third year, not only with Gold Sponsorship but also with staff volunteering at the pop-up shop.

“We know that one of the main concerns of our Members is the rising cost of living and it is clear to see how the School Savvy NQ program addresses that concern and supports the local community by providing essential back-to-school items at affordable prices, and from a sustainability point of view, reduces the amount of textile waste going into landfill,” Mr Newman said.

“It makes us proud as an organisation that our staff also choose to spend their time volunteering at the pop-up shop through our Community Volunteer Program. When we support initiatives like this, it’s important that they are causes our staff are passionate about and are important to our Members and communities in which we operate.”

The Townsville pop-up shop will be open from 10.00am to 2.00pm weekdays from Monday, 9 January to Friday, 20 January and 4.00pm to 7.00pm on Tuesdays, 10 and 17 January at Centacare NQ, 410 Ross River Road, Cranbrook.

A pop-up shop will also open at the Vinnies Store, Ayr for one day only on Thursday, 19 January from 10.00am to 2.00pm.