A MUM from Irvine has been overwhelmed by donations after setting out to help impoverished children in the community. 

Catherine Coppola made an appeal on Facebook for residents in North Ayrshire to donate their old school uniforms and was left stunned by the response she received. 

The mother of two previously struggled on her own as a single parent, so is only too aware of the difficult situation many find themselves in. It was an empathy that inspired Catherine to take action. 

She said: “There are so many people who use foodbanks and I thought; How are they possibly able to afford a school uniform?

“I was in a situation where I was working two jobs, with no money left over after all the bills were paid and I wasn’t eligible for a clothing grant. There’s conditions where if you’re overdrawn in your bank account, you won’t be able to get it. I remember when I was younger and passing things on to my friend. I’ve always wanted to try and help out”.

Catherine, an employee of Scottish Power who also volunteers at Irvine Rugby Club, believes that being unable to afford items such as bags and uniforms for school is not easy for a parent. 

She explained: “Any mum would want to be able to go out and spend money on their kids and it’s tough to ask strangers for help. But a lot of the uniforms we’ve been given are in great condition, and there’s some new stuff in there as well. We’ve had around 400 uniforms handed in, with volunteers helping me to iron them and package them all up. The support has been unbelievable.”

Having lived in Irvine and witnessed the difficult financial circumstances of others, the reality of the situation remains close to home . 

Catherine stated: “My son came home one day and said that one of his friends, who was going into P4, was still wearing a jumper that he had had since P1.

"It’s not easy for children to go into school that way and the aim is to stop kids getting bullied because they don’t have what they need. That’s what leads on to street crime happening in future. I’ve looked at some of the figures and been traumatised by what I’ve seen.”

Catherine reserved special praise for those who volunteered to help her out and insisted that she has more planned going forward to help try make a positive difference on people’s lives. 

She said: “I took holidays from work to try and sort everything out and have had two teenage volunteers who have kindly given up their time to assist. 

“In future, the aim is to make KA Leisure Centre into a SportsHub and to also organise a day of sporting events where everyone is able to get a meal. We just want to do as much as we can to help get people off the streets”.

Volunteers are welcome to come along on Saturday, August 6 at Irvine sports centre between 12-2pm .