TUXchange urgently seeking new premises after Kennet Centre closure notice

Local community organisation TUXchange, founded by Nicki Tucker, is urgently looking for new premises after being told they can only remain in their Kennet Centre unit until the end of January.

TUXchange has become a lifeline for families across West Berkshire, providing affordable school uniforms and children’s essentials for all ages. The project has grown rapidly in recent years, but now faces uncertainty unless a new base can be found.

“We’ve helped hundreds of families over the past few years and we really don’t want to stop now,” said Nicki. “We’re appealing for a secure space where we can sort, store and distribute donations safely.”

While searching for new premises, Nicki and her volunteers are continuing to operate by moving items onto their Vinted shop — though this currently doesn’t include school-branded uniform items.

Pop-up shops have been suggested by supporters, but Nicki explains that they’re not a quick fix:

• Stock covers ages 3 to 17, with multiple sizes, lengths and strict school-style rules.
• Local uniforms span many colours — grey, black, blue, green, red, yellow, purple and more — so hundreds of pieces would need to be transported each time.
• Logistics are a challenge: packing, transporting, setting up and restocking all take time.
• Most pop-up opportunities happen midweek, when volunteers are at work.

“It’s not just a case of grabbing a few uniforms and going,” Nicki said. “It’s a full-scale operation.”

TUXchange is now appealing for an accessible indoor space in or near Newbury or Thatcham, large enough to store and sort donations, ideally with parking.

Anyone who can help or knows of a suitable space is encouraged to contact Nicki Tucker via the TUXchange Facebook page.
You can also support the project by browsing their Vinted shop, which currently has over 50 items available, with more being added each week.