Introduction to the Brand

David Luke grew out of a small company that supplied childrenswear in the North West of England. A spark for inventiveness saw founding partners David Burgess and Adrian Luke expand into the school uniform market where they have innovated some of the most iconic products our children now count as uniform essentials. From the quirky Skort to blazers made from recycled plastic bottles, David Luke has found ways of making the ordinary, extraordinary throughout its 38-year history.

Over the years, the David Luke brand has demonstrated a progressive and highly respected reputation for innovation in sustainability. We were the first to develop recycled polyester yarn from plastic bottles which we used to make blazers. Gradually our passion for eco-uniform grew our recycled product range to include skirts, trousers, polo shirts and sweatshirts, all made from this marvellous material. We’ve counted A LOT of plastic bottles during the first decade of our sustainability journey (41 million and still counting) but 2020 made us stop in our tracks. Regroup and focus on the impact our flagship brand was going to make for the next decade and beyond. So, where to next?

Our widest collection of junior and senior eco products EVER spanning 10 categories. If you think we saved a lot of plastic bottles before, just wait until our expanded ranges start contributing to the count! Think we can hit 100 million by the year 2023? Hold my drink…

Greater transparency on the sustainability of our packaging with an aim to reduce the amount of plastic used when transporting goods and introduce more recycled content in items such as swing tickets, mailing materials and garment packaging.

We’re thinking in circles. Understanding how we can play a significant role in extending the life cycle of our school uniform is top priority. In practice this means educating families to Re:Uniform, providing practical solutions to fix and mend and introducing a take-back scheme on our consumer website. A new focus on impact led by our Kindness Currency initiative which will see us collaborate with like-minded social enterprises and charities to ensure the children who wear our uniform are supported at grassroots level

Continuing to support our network of independent retailers with their sustainable initiatives including offering free Tender Workshops .

TENDER ACADEMY

As part of the School Uniform Bill, our independent retail partners will be required to tender for their contracts. That’s where David Luke is at hand to help. In October we launch the Tender Academy which offers our retailers training sessions on how to write a successful tender. Firstly there will be 1 hour free taster session webinar with a summary of the tender process and things you need to know. To follow on from this we will give the option to purchase a Premium service (which is part funded by David Luke), which consists of 2 x 4 hour sessions and more indepth information to get our retailers started.

FREE Online Taster Session – Duration 1 hour:

The one-hour taster session will cover the following areas specifically tailored around school uniform tender completion and based upon the SA advisory tender template:

Proposed Content: • How to make sure you don’t miss a tender or see it too late to reply • What to expect when a tender arrives • Time, resources, and skills needed to write a winning tender the type of questions and topic areas you will have to respond to

Premium Service – Duration 2 x 4 hour:

Proposed Content: • Full tender submission support from Klick Business solutions • Bespoke designs • Customised service • Formal agreement on arrangements