Kit Out 5 School Students; £20

It's been more than 10 years since I left school. Even so, I still feel a pathetic frisson of delight when I see the Back to School logos going up all over the shops and know that I don't need to go and get a school uniform - and school shoes, which always took aaaaaaages because my feet were a 'treble-A' fitting (i.e. very very narrow. Humph).

My primary school's uniform standards were so colditz-strict that even the little teeny-tiny elastic bands in your hair had to be the right colour (navy, grey or black unless you were wearing a 'summer dress', the blue-checked ones of which we were allowed to wear after the Easter holidays and before the summer holidays only, when the hairbands were to be white).

The school I went to during my secondary years, Cademuir, wasn't nearly so strict on its uniform regulations - but it rejoiced in emerald green jumpers and navy skirts ) although we were allowed to wear kilts. I did - my Douglas (dress tartan) one. Green jumpers were still grim though!

Although uniforms were always a drag, getting the new term's stationery was always fun - even though my mum usually seemed to get me boring sensible stuff. One year, when I was going into primary 5 (i.e. aged 9ish), I persuaded her to get me a metal box of Lakeland colouring pencils. She said I'd have lost them all by half-term. I still have them. All of them. In the original colour order. Ha.

This present will give the same 'new start' thrill to 5 schoolchildren somewhere. As well as that, the jotters, pencils, rulers and schoolbag will make a big contribution to their ability to do their schoolwork and so to their learning. Bit of a result from some stationery really.

[ from Oxfam Unwrapped, www.oxfamunwrapped.com ]