M&S has joined forces with eBay and Oxfam to launch a new pre-loved school uniform swap scheme at hundreds of its UK stores.
In what is a first-time collaboration between the national retailer, global welfare charity, and online secondhand marketplace, M&S’s long-standing and hugely-successful ‘Shwopping’ scheme has now been extended with the introduction of more than 200 dedicated school uniform Shwop boxes inside stores nationwide.
Shoppers can donate their pre-loved school uniform to M&S’s ‘Back-to-School Shwopping Boxes’, and receive vouchers for up to 20% off selected items in the retailer’s kidswear section.
All pre-loved school uniform pieces donated to the new M&S boxes will first be inspected to see if they pass the hand-me-down quality test, and once they do, will then be given a second life in an Oxfam shop somewhere in the UK.
M&S launches new pre-loved school uniform swap scheme at hundreds UK stores / Credit: M&S
Also for the first time, the pieces will even be made available on a dedicated pre-loved school uniform shop on eBay too.
By partnering with eBay, M&S and Oxfam say they hope the new scheme – which has been launched as a pilot, with the hopes of a full nationwide rollout in due course – will mean that even more families can access affordable and great quality school uniform “no matter where they live or how they choose to shop”.
And if all of that wasn’t important enough as it is, M&S says that every school uniform sale, whether it be through Oxfam’s shops or via eBay, will also raise funds to support the vital work that Oxfam does to tackle poverty and inequality all around the world.
M&S launches new pre-loved school uniform swap scheme at hundreds UK stores / Credit: M&S
Any school uniform that can’t be resold in Oxfam shops or on eBay will be recycled or reused wherever possible, M&S has confirmed.
M&S’s Kidswear Director Alexandra Dimitriu said the new ‘Back-to-School Shwopping Boxes’ are just one of the many ways the retailer is “trying to make our best-in-class school uniform accessible to all families, however and whenever they choose to shop.”
Lorna Fallon, who is Oxfam’s Retail Director, added that the new scheme is “a win-win initiative”, as it not only helps parents who may be struggling with the cost of kitting their children out for school, but it’s also a simple way for shoppers to “make a huge difference” to the environment as it gives garments a longer lifecycle, and raises funds for Oxfam’s lifesaving work along the way.
eBay’s Head of Pre-Loved Fashion, Lucy Peacock, says the cost of living crisis has created “greater education poverty” and “an ever-increasing need for school uniforms”, which is why the marketplace is “proud” to be able to help pilot the new scheme.
Featured Image – M&S
Leeds
No Greek Tragedy, just indie bangers – The Wombats set Leeds’ First Direct Arena alight
The Wombats aren’t just still going strong - they’re getting better. And honestly? Long may they reign.
The Wombats absolutely tore the roof off the First Direct Arena in Leeds last night, Wednesday 26 March and what a night it was.
From the second they hit the stage it wasn’t just a gig, it was a full-blown indie-pop spectacle, packed with infectious energy, nostalgia, and a whole lot of dancing.
They kicked things off with “Moving to New York,” and honestly? The crowd was in from the first note.
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Matthew Murphy’s unmistakable vocals rang through the arena and suddenly, thousands of people were screaming every lyric like it was 2007 all over again. It was one of those moments where you could just feel how much this band still means to people.
Despite the massive venue, The Wombats somehow made it feel intimate. The lights? Pure chaos in the best way - vibrant, colourful, and totally in sync with the band’s wild, bouncy sound.
Murphy’s cheeky banter between songs made it feel less like a polished arena show and more like a jam session with a few thousand of your closest mates.
Setlist-wise, they nailed it. “Let’s Dance to Joy Division” and “Greek Tragedy” had the whole place losing it, while the stripped-down version of “Techno Fan” gave everyone a minute to breathe (and maybe get a little emotional).
Image: The Hoot Leeds
Those quieter moments just made the high-energy choruses hit even harder. It was a rollercoaster - in the best way possible.
Then came the encore. If you thought the crowd was loud before, “Kill the Director” took things to another level. Pure, chaotic indie bliss. The kind of moment you don’t want to end.
Here’s the thing about The Wombats: some might say their older songs hit harder than their newer stuff, but is that just nostalgia talking? Or maybe it’s a generational thing?
Either way, they proved they’re still one of the most exciting live bands out there. They’ve still got the hooks, the humour, and the ability to turn a massive arena into a sweaty, euphoric singalong.
Get Baked’s viral ‘Bertha’ cake has a sister on the way – and she sounds just as cheeky
Danny Jones
She's big, she's green and she's ready to ruin your figure.
A lot of you will have seen the viral ‘Bertha’ cake by Leeds born beloved sweet treat specialists Get Baked.
They recently opened another site in Manchester's Northern Quarter, where queues literally formed round the block of hungry punters wanting to get their hands on the infamous sugary treats.
And now it's going to happen all over again, as they've recently unveiled their newest flavour which is sure to go down a storm.
We’ll give you a hint: it’s a current food and drink trend that’s about as big as Bertha herself – it’s not matcha, it’s not hot honey (duh), and it’s not Guinness…
Images: Get Baked
Yes—scratch that; HELL YES!Get Baked is set to welcome Bertha’s equally beautiful twin sister, and she’s officially a pistachio girlie.
Having started out life simply as ‘Bruce’, after taking inspiration from the iconic scene from Matilda, this thing has become a phenomenon in its own right, and who doesn’t like more flavours of a good thing?
Probably one of the biggest foodie crazes going at the minute, thanks to the popularity of pistachio cream, cookies, lattes and the similar social media sensation that is the ‘Dubai Pistachio Bar' people are rather fittingly going nuts for this particular flavour of almost absolutely anything.
With that in mind, the Leeds-born bakery and dessert shop – founded by Rich Myers over in Headingley back in 2011 – have shown no hesitation in hopping on the bandwagon and creating a new twist on their own viral menu item.
Teasing the full details in a post on their Instagram this week, they wrote: “What’s big, green, and is going to destroy your life in a couple of weeks’ time? Pistachio Bertha. Strictly limited to 5,000 slices. Coming oh so soon. GB.”
In case you were wondering just how mad those with a sweet tooth could possibly go for a slice of cake, just look at the recent queues when they finally launched in Manchester city centre:
Speaking on the grand opening here on our turf and his partner Amy’s hometown, Myers said simply: “Manchester, what a launch. Thanks for much for the warm welcome. Stay baked.”
Emily Sergeant -
4th July 2023 
