These grants play a crucial role in providing essential school uniforms and equipment to children across the UK who need it most.

The organisation established the Education Fund when it launched its partnership with the UK leading children’s charity in 2015. Action for Children, through the Education Fund helps tackle the attainment gap and improve engagement in education in vulnerable children.

The grants from the Education Fund empower families by enabling them to purchase essential school items such as uniform, warm coats, shoes, PE equipment and stationery. Each grant has a value of £40, which will increase to £50 per child in April, further enhancing its impact.

There are currently 4.2 million children in the UK living in poverty. Families grapple with financial constraints, making it challenging to provide basic essentials for their children’s education. The lack of proper materials or a decent uniform can often hinder a child’s learning experience at school, sometimes making them feel excluded or different from an early age. Over the past seven years, Turner & Townsend’s unwavering commitment has resulted in raising over £830,000 benefitting thousands of children and young people across the UK, ensuring they have the tools they need to thrive in the classroom and beyond.

A selection of grants in numbers of items include:

• School coats: 3,310
• School shoes: 5,052
• Uniform: 7,423
• School bags: 1,872
• PE kits: 2,862
• Stationary: 1,163
• Calculators: 499

Patricia Moore, UK managing director, said: “We are delighted to have reached this milestone in our partnership with Action for Children. This significant achievement reaffirms our dedication to creating positive change and breaking down barriers for disadvantaged youth.

“We are now looking forward to continuing to grow our partnership with Action for Children, making a valued change in our local communities across the UK, achieving our aspiration to raise £1 million and to deliver 15,000 grants by 2027.”

Katherine Woods, head of corporate at Action for Children, added: “We are thrilled to have hit this huge milestone with Turner & Townsend, helping thousands of vulnerable children to get the most out of their education. As the cost-of-living crisis continues, many families are finding it more and more difficult to keep up with the costs of school essentials for their growing children.

“Children shouldn’t have to feel like their school experience is different from their classmates. Every child deserves to go to school feeling confident and empowered to learn, wearing a clean uniform that fits them and with a school bag and stationery like their friends. With Turner & Townsend, we can continue to give even more children the chance to thrive and reach their full potential.”