A North Yorkshire charity that is relied on by so many claims they won’t be able to carry on if they don’t receive planning permission “more or less straightaway”.
The Clothing Bank opened in 2020 and has since been providing vulnerable people with clothing, and other essentials, discreetly and confidentially.
The charity was established by Sally Parkinson and Susan Bell, who have both experienced poverty throughout the course of their lives.

They support individuals ranging from newborn babies to pensioners, and they also work alongside other organisations across the area.
The foundation has over 120 locations across the UK and a huge network of volunteers.
They’re based outside Knottingley, but have drop off points across York and Selby.
Since it began, the site has always operated in Susan’s back garden to save money on rent and keep costs down.
Up until now, all of the clothing has been stockpiled into one large shed.
As the number of people requiring help has increased, so has the need for space.
“We’ve done over 9,000 packs of clothing this year alone,” Susan told YorkMix.
The pair appealed for planning permission for a second shed two years ago, and are still yet to hear anything back from Selby Council.
“We’ve done everything that the council has asked us to do, they said we were going to get permission in June, we keep ringing them, we’ve put a complaint in, but still nothing,” Susan added.
She believes the reason as to why their requests are being ignored is due to concerns from neighbours.
The Clothing Bank operates on a residential street, and despite most neighbours not having a problem with this, some have raised concerns in the past.
Those concerns being the number of people parking on the street, when they come to collect or donate items.
Susan appreciates this, but has put measures in place to alleviate these problems.
“We’ve just purchased a really big container, costing about £4,500, and people are now going there to drop clothes, instead of coming to the house. We’re also looking to buy more clothing bank bins for drop offs too.
“Another thing we’ve started is giving people assigned times to come, rather than them just coming willy nilly,” she said.
Despite the hard work both Susan and Sally have put into the organisation over the last four years, Sally revealed that they cannot continue without the extra space.
“We’re so busy at the moment, we need the shed to make it easier to distinguish between boys and girls clothes, for example. We’re helping all sorts of people, but without this planning permission we will have to stop and give it all up.”
The pair were also hoping to have the second shed up and running before this Winter, so they had somewhere warm to work.
“We’ve worked outside in the snow, frost and ice in tents for four years, and this year we thought we’d be able to work from the shed, but no. And you know, we’re not spring chickens either!” Susan joked.
Another big factor that comes with the additional shed, is the added security for those who may feel embarrassed utilising the clothing bank.
“When people come to us for their pack it’s all about dignity for them, and making sure they’re not on show. So if they can discreetly come in, nobody’s embarrassed by it, it just looks like they’re coming to my house and it’s not as obvious what they’re doing,” Susan said.
Time is of the essence to secure planning permission for the Clothing Bank, with funding already granted for the new shed.
Local companies have put money into the build, but if it’s not spent by April of next year they will require the funding back.
Builders are also on standby, waiting for the go-ahead to construct the shed.
Selby Council provided us with a statement:
“The planning application is currently under review and the case officer has been in contact with the applicant.
“As with all planning applications, we will consider the details carefully and will continue to liaise with those involved.”
If you’d like more information on the Clothing Bank and what they do, check out their Facebook page here, or their website here.