Julie Waller named Woman of Rochdale 2026 for voluntary work supporting families

A volunteer who has helped more than 2,000 families with school uniforms has been named Woman of Rochdale 2026 at a fundraising event for Springhill Hospice.

Julie Waller received the award on Friday afternoon at Rochdale Golf Club in recognition of her work leading Uniform For All, a volunteer run organisation she founded during the Covid lockdown.

The initiative provides recycled school uniforms to families across the borough at no cost. Over the past year, more than 15,000 items have been distributed, supporting over 2,000 families and saving an estimated £225,000. The project has also prevented more than 3.3 tonnes of clothing from going to landfill.

Julie gives around 50 hours each week to the service, which now handles around 30 requests a day. Each item is washed, ironed and prepared before being passed on to families. She works closely with schools, health visitors, social workers and housing providers to ensure support is delivered discreetly.

Before starting the project, Julie spent 35 years working as a frontline paramedic in Rochdale.

Speaking after receiving the award, she said, “I thought I was only coming to the fundraiser and the meal. Anyway, I will get myself composed. A Uniform for All was my daughter Rachel’s idea. We started it in lockdown.”

She added, “We have to give grateful thanks to Rochdale Council, who have always been behind us. Rochdale Boroughwide Housing, they allow us to do washing and drying, which is an essential part of what we do.”

Julie also highlighted the role of community partners and volunteers, saying, “We have also got the people who help us in the background. Action Together. Julie Duran, our dear friend, who helped us get charity status. Our trustees who work endlessly along with myself.”

She described how the service operates, adding, “We do everything anonymously. And also the volunteers, to those that come for a day, those that come for a few days and those that are with us from the very beginning.”

Reflecting on the scale of demand, she said, “We help over two thousand families in the last year. We know there is more. We know we can achieve more.”

Julie also explained the environmental impact of the project, saying, “They are all recycled. We have saved over 3.3 tonnes of textile waste just in one year going to landfill. It is all free.”

She encouraged others to get involved, adding, “If anyone would like to join us, you are most welcome.”

Thanking organisers and attendees, she said, “It is a great honour. I cannot tell you quite how shocked I am. Thank you to everyone here and the golf club. It has been an absolutely lovely do.”

Speaking about Springhill Hospice, she added, “My dear friend would have loved to have been here. She spent her last days in the hospice and she said it was like a five star spa day.”

She also praised those supporting the hospice, saying, “Fundraising is hard, I know that myself, but it is every credit to the hospice.”

Julie closed by recognising the collective effort of women in the borough, adding, “Ladies, collectively we are brilliant. We can do it and we can bring Rochdale into the top ten. We are the top ten.”

The Woman of Rochdale award forms part of an annual fundraising event celebrating local women while raising money for the hospice.