DUNFERMLINE Abbey parishioners have gifted more than 250 packs of new underwear, socks and pyjamas to help the newly-established Children’s Clothing Bank Dunfermline.

The donations from this year’s harvest festival celebrations come alongside cash donations already given by church members.

Judy Corbett, one of the trustees of the clothing bank, said: “We are truly overwhelmed by the generosity of the congregation.

“We really didn’t expect such a wonderful response and are delighted that we will now be able to put lovely new underwear into every package which goes out to a child.

“We also received numerous financial donations from Abbey members through our Crowdfunder page, many with Gift Aid too.

“Our page closes at the end of October and we are hopeful that our project will be chosen by Fife Council as one to be match-funded.

“That means whatever we manage to raise through Crowdfunder will be automatically doubled! It’s a win-win.”

The clothing bank was started by Dunfermline lawyer Craig Smith back in August to help families in need.

It provides clothes to families in Dunfermline and surrounding areas, for children up to and including 18, and hopes to work with the existing clothes bank in Rosyth, which also covers Inverkeithing and Dalgety Bay.

With premises in Chalmers Street generously provided by Stephens Foundation, they received more than 500 bags at a donation drive at St Margaret's Church in Touch at the end of August.

Judy added: “It’s taken us quite a while to get through them all, sorting into boys and girls and the various age groups and checking the quality of everything.

“We will only gift clothes which are practically perfect in every way so there were some which we had to discard and send to recycling but on the whole, the quality of the items donated was very, very impressive. Many still had tags on or had clearly only been worn once or twice.”

Just in the past week, the charity has taken on its first cohort of 20 volunteers to help with all the sorting, picking, ironing and packing of gift bags.

“At last, we feel we have got our heads around things enough to bring in some more help – although with Covid restrictions, we are limited to only three people on the premises at one time – but it does mean we can now open up for donations again at the end of this month and more importantly, we can start giving out the clothes when we begin taking referrals from Monday, November 2.

“If anyone needs our help, they should contact their social worker or health professional (or indeed any other person who supports them and their family) and ask them to get in touch to make a referral to us.

"We will be only too delighted to try to meet their requirements.”

For donations of clothes and information on opening times go to www.facebook.com/ClothingBankDunfermline/.

To make a financial donation you can go to www.crowdfunder.co.uk/childrens-clothing-bank-dunfermline or email clothingbankdunfermline@gmail.com