A campaign to provide families with school uniforms urged members of the public yesterday to dig deep and donate as the start of the new school year approaches.

Gina Spence’s Back to School drive has been running for 15 years and has helped hundreds of children by providing clothing and school equipment.

Ms Spence told The Royal Gazette there was a huge demand for uniform and education supplies this year, but she had noticed a slight drop in donations.

She said: “This is our last push before the start of term.

“We have had some donations come in, but last year at this time we had probably seen more.

“It’s a sign of the times as people don’t have as much to give right now, and we are seeing that in both uniform donations and financial ones.

“At this point we have more than 100 children registered with us and that figure is unprecedented, so we need the community’s help to provide support to these families that need it.”

Last year the campaign, which is a joint effort between Gina Spence Productions and Gibbons Company, received more than 1,000 school items and financial donations that were passed on to families.

This year the uniform drop at Gibbons Company and the registration deadline will be Thursday, August 31.

To nominate children to receive school uniforms or make a financial donation go to ginaspenceproductions.com.

Gina Spence Productions volunteers will distribute the uniforms to nominated families on Saturday, September 2 in the Washington Mall, when school supplies as well as free haircuts will be provided.