Donations have begun to roll in for the PCYC Napranum uniform drive ahead of the 2026 school year. Photo: Supplied.
After a drop in school attendance, the Napranum PCYC is extending a helping hand to local families and breaking down the barriers to education.
The club is calling for donations for its first uniform drive, which aims to provide students with the correct attire and tools they need to succeed.
Club manager Sergeant Rhonda Spence said they had reached out to the Napranum and Weipa communities earlier this month in preparation for the start of the school year on 27 January.
She said they were in need of Western Cape College shirts and shorts in all sizes, shoes and socks in all sizes, as well as lunch boxes, backpacks and stationery.
“Our planning phase started at the end of the school year in 2025, when we identified a drop in attendance numbers at our Breakfast Club Program and school attendance,” she said.
“We want to ensure that students have no challenges with basic school equipment to help support their learning journey.
“We are very fortunate that we can support all students in Napranum to attend school without barriers, and this provides ongoing support to families to elevate any necessary challenges.”
While the countdown to the beginning of term 1 was on, Sergeant Spence said the uniform drive would be open for donations throughout the year to ensure support was available whenever necessary.
“Through our Breakfast Club Program in 2025, staff identified, through engagement with families, the need to support students’ attendance at school throughout the year, not just at the beginning with school equipment,” she said.
“Many students’ school supplies, throughout the year, get lost, damaged, are in poor condition, or they grow out of them quickly.
“We feel that when students have what they need, it will make their experience more positive, and it motivates them to succeed.”
Donations are being accepted at PCYC Napranum or through Sergeant Spence on 0438 297 788, with the uniform drive open to families from 19 January.
