A 17-year-old girl, Scarlet, residing in Plymouth with her disabled mother and father who is her primary caregiver, recounted her struggles of attending school feeling cold in a thin cardigan. Scarlet revealed that her family heavily relies on second-hand coats from charity shops and hand-me-downs to stay warm as they face difficulties affording new winter clothing every year due to growth and limited resources.
Scarlet vividly remembered enduring the cold in school due to insufficient warm clothing, emphasizing the increasing cost of coats as she grows older. The family’s financial constraints have led them to mainly acquire coats from charity shops and pass down worn-out clothing among siblings. Scarlet’s family faced challenges during the previous winter, with heightened heating expenses to accommodate her mother’s sensitivity to cold due to her disability, aggravated by house issues like mold and cold drafts.
Additionally, Scarlet and her family have turned to food banks for support, with Scarlet even volunteering at a food bank during a specific period, gaining a firsthand understanding of the struggles faced by many families in similar situations. Barnardo’s has stepped in to support Scarlet, offering cooking sessions to equip her with skills to prepare affordable and nutritious meals for her family.
Recent research indicates that one in seven parents in the UK anticipate difficulties in affording warm clothing, including coats, for their children this winter. Children’s charity Barnardo’s estimates that approximately 300,000 children in the UK might lack a winter coat. A YouGov survey highlighted that one in 50 children aged six to 15 do not possess a winter coat, with concerns raised by 12% of those with coats about their adequacy in keeping them warm.
As the UK Health Security Agency issued an amber Cold-Health Alert for certain regions amid plummeting temperatures, Barnardo’s revealed that half of their child poverty fund recipients between November 2024 and February 2025 sought assistance for clothing-related needs. One distressing case involved a mother and her young daughters fleeing their home due to domestic abuse, leaving them in urgent need of warm coats and clothing.
Renowned actress and Barnardo’s ambassador, Dame Helen Mirren, expressed deep sorrow over the challenges children face this winter, emphasizing the vulnerability of families living on the brink of crisis. Barnardo’s CEO Lynn Perry highlighted the importance of providing essential support to children and families year-round, urging public donations to sustain the charity’s efforts in alleviating such hardships.
Amidst concerns raised by the survey findings and the impending winter season, calls for community support and donations to organizations like Barnardo’s have intensified to ensure vulnerable families receive the necessary assistance to navigate the challenging circumstances ahead.