Partnership with Orchardville and ROC NI

 The Council's Recycling and Leisure teams have partnered with local charities Orchardville and ROC NI to support local people and families impacted by the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Winter Coat Project 2025/26

We are again partnering with Orchardville and ROC NI to facilitate collections of donated clean, pre-loved coats for children and adults.

Winter Coat Project: Pop-up Shop Dates

If you or someone you know needs a warm winter coat, you can collect items free of charge at the following dates/locations:

• City Church, (First Presbyterian Church), Main Street, Bangor,BT20 4AG | Wednesday 28 January 2026 | 11am - 4pm | Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/NAv4nBahb5W4NkuE8
• Queens Hall, West Street, Newtownards, BT23 4EN | Friday 30 January 2026 |11am - 4pm | Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/abKPutkQmnrRUcM96

No eligibility criteria: anyone who needs a coat is welcome to come along. Adult and children's sizes available.

The Pop-up Shop locations are close to train/bus stations in Bangor and Newtownards.

Donation points /dates - January 2026

Our donation points for this year's Winter Coat Project have now closed. Thank you to everyone who donated!

School Uniform Project 2025

In Ards and North Down, 261 children benefitted from receiving pre-loved items of school uniform and stationery thanks to the School Uniform Project 2025. Council partnered with Orchardville and ROC Northern Ireland to deliver four pop-up events at Bangor City Church and Newtownards Salvation Army Hub in June and July.

Additionally, four tables of free toys were also given away to children attending these events. These toys were collected from the HRC Reuse containers and diverted from disposal. To complete the free service, a representative from Sustainable Stories Bangor attended the pop-up events with a sewing machine to make any minor alterations to uniforms for the children.

We are grateful to everyone who donated and who helped facilitate this worthwhile initiative.