Fashion & Textile Children’s Trust expands financial aid for UK sector workforce

The UK organisation Fashion & Textile Children’s Trust (FTCT) has launched a new five-year strategy aimed at accelerating financial support for families across the clothing and textile sector.

By 2031, FTCT plans to award 2.4 million pounds in grants, reflecting an increase of nearly 32 percent. The initiative aims to support 4,600 children, up 21 percent, by establishing high-impact partnerships with retailers and driving external fundraising.

Based on current Office for National Statistics data, FTCT estimates that around 8 percent of the industry’s 1.4 million workforce are parents or carers experiencing significant financial hardship. This indicates that approximately 221,000 children in fashion and textile families currently face hardship.

Industry engagement to address rising need

The target marks an increase from the 3,800 children supported between 2021 and 2026, driven by a rise in families living without everyday essentials. The organisation is urging retailers and brands to join existing members, including UK retailer Marks & Spencer; UK department store group John Lewis Partnership; UK knitwear brand John Smedley; UK menswear retailer Charles Tyrwhitt; UK clothing label Boden; and UK fashion retailer Next.

FTCT chief executive, Anna Pangbourne, said: “As FTCT approaches its 175th anniversary, this strategy sets out the ambition to extend our financial safety-net to more families than ever before due to increasing demand. We know that families continue to face financial pressures and parents often tell us about the difficulties they face with rising household costs and the economic uncertainty caused by both global and national issues. In order to support more families we are driving a step-change in employer engagement over the next five years.”

Pangbourne added: “Our goal is to deepen our engagement with employers and significantly widen our community of industry partners to mobilise our industry network and establish FTCT as the primary champion for families across our sector.”

Targeted support for retail workforces

As the only UK charity dedicated exclusively to supporting children of fashion and textile workers, FTCT offers grants with a three-week turnaround. Funds help families meet the cost of essentials, such as school uniforms, bedding, mobility equipment, and specialist therapies.

Over the past three years, 37 percent of awarded grants resulted directly from corporate partnerships, facilitating 429,000 pounds in financial aid. Partner companies receive tailored promotional plans, ongoing support, and bespoke annual reporting on workforce financial trends.

UK womenswear and kidswear retailer Boden people operations manager and charity lead, Charmaine Higgins, said: “The decade-long partnership strengthens Boden’s commitment to being a family-friendly employer, particularly at a time when many parents are balancing rising childcare costs with increasing financial pressures.”

In developing the 2026 to 2031 strategy, FTCT consulted more than 200 parents across the sector, finding that demand currently outpaces the organisation's existing reach. During its 2021 to 2026 strategic cycle, FTCT handled 13,838 enquiries and distributed 1.82 million pounds in direct grants.