Introducing Our 2026-2030 Strategy: Scaling Impact, Fighting Clothing Poverty

Today, we're proud to unveil Clothing Collective's 2026-2030 Strategy. This is a pivotal moment for our charity — a roadmap that will guide everything we do over the next four years as we work to tackle clothing poverty across the UK.

Clothing poverty affects hundreds of thousands of people, yet it remains one of the most overlooked social issues of our time. For too long, the conversation around poverty has focused on food and shelter, overlooking the fact that adequate clothing is equally essential to dignity, participation and belonging. Our strategy exists to change that.

A clear vision for change

At the heart of our strategy is a simple but powerful vision: nobody in the UK should lack the clothing they need for everyday life. We want to see clothing poverty become a thing of the past, and to reduce the burden of unwanted clothing ending up in landfill.

To achieve this, we're not starting from scratch. We're building on what's already working — our voucher scheme that gives people genuine choice, our partnerships with hundreds of charity shops across the UK, and our growing network of supporters. But we're going bigger.

Ambitious goals, clear priorities

Our strategy outlines four strategic goals designed to accelerate our impact:

• Triple our income — To reach more people and provide greater support where it's needed most.

• Increase awareness — Of both Clothing Collective and clothing poverty itself as a significant issue that deserves attention and action.

• Build our network — Expanding partnerships and recruiting volunteers to sustain our work long-term.

• Improve our evidence — Better understanding and demonstrating the real difference we make in people's lives.

  
  

To deliver on these goals, we've identified five key priorities. We're focusing on generating sustainable income through fundraising and strategic partnerships. We're investing in creating a hub of credible data and insights on clothing poverty (a go-to resource for anyone wanting to understand this issue). We're building our team, recruiting the skilled people we need to grow. And we're strengthening our impact evidence so we can show the world exactly what our model achieves.

Rooted in our values

Everything we do is guided by four core values: Resourcefulness (using the wealth of resources already in society), People-centred (recognising the talent and lived experience of those around us), Collaborative (working in genuine partnership), and Dignity (ensuring everyone who accesses our support feels respected and in control).

These aren't just words, they're the principles that shape how we work, how we engage with charity shop partners, and how we treat every person who receives support from us.

What this means for you

Whether you're a supporter, a partner organisation, a volunteer, or someone struggling with clothing poverty, this strategy shows we're committed to long-term, sustainable change. We're not looking for quick fixes. We're building a movement that recognises clothing poverty for what it is: a barrier to opportunity, dignity and belonging that deserves serious attention.

Over the next four years, you'll see us grow. You'll see us innovate. But you'll also see us stay true to our values and our mission: putting choice, dignity and sustainability at the heart of everything we do.

Read the full strategy

This blog post only scratches the surface. Our strategy document goes into much greater depth on our approach, our evidence base, and our specific plans for the years ahead.

👉 Read our full 2026-2030 Strategy here

We'd love to hear what you think. Whether you're thinking about how you could support us, or you want to understand more about our vision for tackling clothing poverty, get in touch. Together, we can make clothing poverty a thing of the past.