Helping to keep children dry and warm...

Children at five local schools were given vouchers enabling them to choose brand new coats, thanks to a Rotary initiative in which Bradgate Rotary participated in Autumn 2025.

Helped by a matching grant from Rotary in the East Midlands of £425, Bradgate Rotary donated £425, so that a total of £850 was available to be spent on vouchers to provide coats for 34 children.

The Coats4Kids initiative, run in conjunction with Regatta Clothing, uses vouchers in order to protect the anonymity of the families in need. The vouchers can be exchanged online for coats of any size and colour, with the families able to choose the style of coat which best suits the child involved.

To protect their anonymity too, this website will not identify which of the schools in our area will benefit in the current school year when Bradgate Rotary Club repeats the scheme, with an additional school invited to take part.

Linda Thompson, who leads the project for Bradgate Rotary, said: “While we protect the identity of the recipients and their schools, we know that the coats are very warmly received.

“Children struggle to learn if they arrive at school wet and cold. This scheme puts children from families with dire needs on an equal footing with their peers.”

“I will be representing Bradgate Rotary Club at a meeting at the House of Commons in October with MPs from all over the country, at which we will explain how Rotary Clubs in Great Britain and Ireland are operating the scheme. I hope to meet our local MPs, so they can ask and understand more about the innovative scheme and how it benefits local families.”