The Community Dental Services CIC (CDS) team in Derbyshire has set up a children’s clothes rail in the waiting area of one of its busy clinics so families attending for dental care can also choose clothing items for their children.

The clothes rail is stocked with donations from colleagues in the clinic and across the Derbyshire service. It was initially intended to offer unbranded, generic school uniform items. However, demand has grown, and the rail now provides a wide range of children’s clothes in addition to school uniforms and footwear, including football boots.

The team also received a donation of new school uniforms and other children’s clothes from a local church-run community group.

Families are encouraged to take clothes from the rail free of charge, with used carrier bags available for packing. The initiative helps to relieve financial pressures on families, whilst extending the life of good quality children's clothes, resulting in a positive environmental impact.

Sian Cooper is a dental therapist who helped set up the rail. She said, “We work in the heart of our communities, seeing a lot of child patients and understand how quickly children get through clothes, school uniforms and things like football boots. This all puts pressure on our families, and this seemed a very simple way to do something to help.

“We are all absolutely amazed at how popular it has been and the way we have set it up means parents and their children can choose what they need without any fear of embarrassment or judgement.”

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