A Liverpool entrepreneur who once had to ask her boss for a loan to buy her daughter's school uniform has given hundreds of uniforms away for free. Kate Stewart, 44, from Clubmoor, raised £17,600 this year as part of her annual initiative to buy school uniforms for disadvantaged families.
Uniforms, shoes, socks and school bags were given to 630 children at The Sandon in Anfield on Sunday, August 30, with two sets of uniforms given to each child. The event was attended by volunteers and staff from The Sandon, including the pub's manager, Daniel Claeys.
A personal struggle behind the initiative
Speaking during the event, Kate, who is a mum of four, told the ECHO: "I am from a council estate, I have no qualifications and I've worked my way up. At one point, I had no money for a school uniform for my little girl. I had to go to my boss and ask if they would lend me the money, so I know how it actually feels."
Kate, who started out in the beauty parlour business and became a millionaire aged 26, said: "My businesses are in deprived areas, and you see people struggling. We did an initiative where I paid to put the heating on and fed 2,000 families, because some people are actually having to think, 'Can I put the heating on, or can I feed my kids?' It's heartbreaking to see that people are actually living like that in these times."
Growing support and community impact
Now in its fourth year, this year's appeal raised £5,000 more than in 2025. Parents queued at the Oakfield Road pub as volunteers handed out the uniforms. Free haircuts were also on offer for children getting ready to head back for the new school year.
Kate initially bought the uniforms herself, but has since set up JustGiving pages. She said: "More and more people just want to get involved. I've been so lucky with the amount of support I've received, being able to go bigger and better this year and help more people."
She added: "My nan brought me up, and she always instilled in me to help people. She was a nurse, and she used to feed everyone. Everyone near ours used to come round; our door was always open. It's been instilled in me that if you do well, you give back. You help those less fortunate than you and try to elevate people. I'm just made up that so many people donated. They don't realise how much of a massive difference it makes. There are kids coming in here this morning, and they're actually putting the shoes on whilst sitting on the seats there and then."
Appeal for other cities to follow
Kate said she is now receiving requests from outside Liverpool. She added: "I would love to see other entrepreneurs in other cities do the same thing. If everyone did it in their city, the country would be a much better place. You see people who are working, and all their money is taken up with the cost of living crisis, so there's no money at the end. The cost of a uniform is phenomenal. If you've got three kids going back to school, it's a massive financial burden on any parent."
The JustGiving page can be found online for those wishing to donate.
