It’s prom party season and it’s bigger than it ever has been. Prom has always been an American tradition and not too long ago most British schools didn’t have a prom.
Proms are usually big parties, big dresses and big cars which usually means big prices for parents, guardians and family members to splash out on for fear that their child will miss out.
Many children miss out due to high costs that their parents or guardians can not cover.
A local resident has devised a brilliant way to get more people to the prom. Kate Lamb who founded the not for profit organisation, Andover Prom Dress Free Rental, which in the name will let girls have the opportunity to have a free rental of a prom dress for their upcoming prom.
Kate told Andover Radio, “I heard a few stories of girls missing out, which is a big crucial event at that age. There are girls who are unable to attend or avoid attending because their families are not in a position to purchase a dress as dresses can cost into the hundreds, and not all families in the Andover area are unable to afford that luxury”
So Kate has come up with a brilliant idea in offering free rental of prom dresses that have been donated so that all can go to the ball “All parents want to give their daughters the very best that they can.
“So I had this idea, I started a Facebook page and put it out there to see the response, and we have been overwhelmed, we now have 86 dresses. We have had a very generous response from the local community who are desperate to help”.
Local business Lindys Boutique answered the call and donated 2 dresses for the cause.
The response has been so great that local celebrity Katie Piper has shared this to her Instagram followers which exceeds 1 million and since, Kate has been messaged all round the country with people and businesses willing to donate more dresses.
Kate now has 86 dresses and is fast running out of room and is looking for premises in Andover to store.
This is a totally free initiative, but Kate does ask that dresses are returned dry cleaned where possible and has partnered with Ben’s Quality Dry Cleaners on Union Street offering a massive 50% for this.
To find out more head over to Facebook and search “Andover Prom Dress Free Rental“
You can listen to the full interview here: