THE Children's Clothing Bank Dunfermline this week celebrated its second birthday.

The charity helped 216 families in West Fife last year but says its efforts give a "stark reminder" that families continue to face tough times.

Mary-Grace Smith, one of the charity's trustees, said it had been a busy year.

"The summer months are usually our quieter period however, this summer has been quite full-on for us which we’re taking as a sign of a hectic autumn and winter ahead," she said.

"We don’t need to say it, but the cost-of-living crisis is real and affecting every household."

Over the last year, the clothing bank has provided 404 clothing parcels for 199 girls and 205 boys – 216 families – in the Dunfermline area.

From these, 43 per cent were for pre-school children, 38 per cent for primary school children and 18 per cent for teenagers.

"We simply couldn’t have done this without the generosity of the people of Dunfermline who continually provide us with mountains of pre-loved clothes, and when we desperately ask for specific items or age ranges, the community steps up to the challenge every time," said Mary-Grace.

“Each referral costs us on average £27. The costs we incur include packaging to present the clothing parcels as a gift, new underwear and socks in every bag, clothes which we’ve had to buy when we’ve run out of stock, and vouchers where footwear is requested. We also provide clothing vouchers to teenagers.

“Thanks to careful planning, we feel pretty confident that we’re prepared to provide support for families in the challenging months ahead. However, at the same time, we are bracing ourselves for a potential surge of requests for clothing."

The annual running costs of the organisation is currently around £11,000. Entirely run by volunteers, all the money goes to the charity with grants and fundraising opportunities helping along with donations.

Mary-Grace added: "Just recently we received £1,000 from Yorkshire Building Society Charitable Foundation specifically to purchase school uniform.

"We have also developed a wonderful relationship with a group of S3 pupils from St Columba’s High School who are taking part in the Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) project. They have already won £2,750 for the Clothing Bank through the YPI and are continuing their fundraising efforts on our behalf by organising a sponsored run in September.

"As we move into our third year, we are also fortunate to continue our partnership with Stephen’s Foundation who generously provide us with use of our premises on Chalmers Street free of charge.”

Any parent or carer in need of help is asked to speak to their health visitor, social worker, school or the Dunfermline Welfare Support Team.

If you are a support worker working with a family and would like to make a referral, contact the charity through its Facebook page.

The Children’s Clothing Bank are currently accepting donations for specific items of clothes, the details of this can be found on their Facebook page along with its opening times.