A NEW initiative, ‘Free Clothes for Kids’, was launched at the official opening of the Big Pick store in Musselburgh.

On the last Sunday of each month, every customer will be entitled to 2kg of free children’s clothes from Miixer CIC’s shops in Musselburgh and Dunbar.

The East Lothian-based non-profit social enterprise has returned to the former Store 21 premises in Musselburgh with its ‘Big Pick’ clothes shop.

It originally had the 175-181 High Street outlet as a pop-up zero waste hub selling reclaimed goods including clothing, shoes and textiles, furniture, soft toys and paperback books but had to leave when its time ran out in December.

Miixer – an acronym for make, innovate, incubate, extend, educate, reuse – has managed to negotiate a long-term lease on the premises and, after a full refit with 100 per cent materials reclaimed from landfill, it relaunched the venture late last month. Director Simon Glover said: “The opening was a great success and the enthusiasm from the local community was overwhelmingly positive. The store was launched by Tom Reid, head of infrastructure at East Lothian Council. Tom was the council’s waste services manager when we launched and, without his support, the project would never have got off the ground.

“This is a fantastic example of partnership working within the community. We have the same aims of alleviating hardship, local job creation and the development of healthy local circular economies.”

Mr Glover said the Free Clothes for Kids’ scheme at Miixer Musselburgh and Dunbar would “make a real difference to families struggling to make ends meet”.

He explained: “There will be an free children’s clothing allowance for all customers. We will be doing a trial to see what the uptake is and if we can satisfy demand.”

Clothes can be donated in store or at any of the Big Pick clothes banks at East Lothian’s recycling centres.

Mr Reid said: “The Big Pick store in Musselburgh is a fantastic example of a circular economy initiative. Through marketing clothes collected from local communities and then selling them back at a very low cost it supports the local economy, and tackles deprivation and need.”