Families in Wales are to get help with buying school uniforms thanks to a new low-cost loan scheme.
Local credit unions will provide instant access to loans so parents can kit out their children, which can cost up to 274.
Bill Hudson from the Wales Co-operative Centre, the organisation administering the project, said: "The cost can put a strain on many families. They are usually required to pay for uniforms as a lump sum with little or no support from local education authorities."
Interest on the loans varies but will not exceed 12.68 per cent per year.
The Welsh Assembly is backing the pilot project in four credit unions and hopes to extend it if successful.
