Seahouses launderette offers free clothes wash to help with cost of living crisis

The Laundry Lodge, in North Sunderland, is stepping up this winter to help people get through the financial struggles by offering a free wash and dry of clothes, towels and bed linen.

The campaign, Ask for Ivy, allows anyone from the area access to confidential help.

When taking laundry to the business, a log sheet is required to be filled in. By writing Ivy in the name box, you won’t be charged a penny.

After Chatton pub, The Percy Arms, offered help to source gifts for underprivileged children this Christmas, the struggle of many young people became highlighted.

One girl, aged eight, hung a wish on their wish tree saying: ‘Clean clothes, please. Mine are dirty’.

Rachel Douglas, owner of The Laundry Lodge, said: “The idea came because a child asked for clean clothes for Christmas and I just thought we live in the 21st century, we’re not a third world country.

"We really should be able to walk around in clean clothes as a basic human right, not as a privilege.

The campaign launched last week, and Rachel plans to keep it running for as long as the community needs it.

Rachel added: “I hope people don’t feel ashamed to come. There’s pure anonymity. We don’t ask your name. If you put your name as Ivy then that’s enough for us, we don’t need to know any details.

"Hopefully people won’t be too proud to use it or too frightened to use it.”