Following the massive response from communities and success of last year’s Downpatrick initiative, the CYPSP Down Locality Planning Group with partners are taking collective action to extend the scheme to support families in Downpatrick, Castlewellan, Newcastle and Ballynahinch to get ready for school and make the back to school of year a little less stressful for families.

This year, fourteen primary schools and thirteen post primary schools have got involved in the initiative alongside a range of partner agencies including Lisburn YMCA, County Down Rural Community Network, Ballynahinch Community Collective, Lecale Learning Community, Down Sure Start, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, Action for Children, Newcastle Homestart, South Eastern HSC Trust and the Health and Social Care Board.

If you have unwanted school uniforms and accessories that are in good clean condition then please donate to this initiative at one of our designated drop off sites (as outlined on the Back to School Fair flyers below by Thursday 5 July. We are reaching out to families to encourage them to come along to one of our Back to School Fairs in Downpatrick, Newcastle and Ballynahinch

Download the Back to School Flyers for each of our sectors to find out more about local area dates and drop off sites for donating uniforms and the dates of our Back to School Fairs for families:

Downpatrick Back to School Fair

Castlewellan/Newcastle Back to School Fair

Ballynahinch Back to School Fair

To celebrate National Day of Play on 1 August 2018 families attending any of the three Back to School Fairs will receive a £1 swim voucher for any of the Newry, Mourne and Down District Council swimming pools!

We would like to pay a special thanks to Sanjay of Spin City and Mint Dry Cleaners in Belfast for their ongoing support towards the Back to School Initiative.

Last year we reached over 128 families. Click here to read more about the impact last year and the difference parents said the initiative made to them

CONTACT US

 For further information contact Noelle Hollywood, Early Intervention and Locality Planning, South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust by email at noelle.hollywood@setrust.hscni.net or Telephone 07872422101