CERI’S GETTING SET FOR THE PROM SEASON
AKIND-HEARTED Welsh woman is collecting dozens of prom dresses in a bid to tackle waste, while also helping families who can’t afford them. Ceri Waters wants to make sure no child has to miss out on prom because of their financial situation.
She has collected dozens of dresses so far and is hoping to receive even more donations before prom season begins.
Ceri, 47, works as an education consultant alongside being a trustee for the Help Caring Team (HCT) charity in Newport, who organise regular appeals to help homeless and vulnerable people in the city and the surrounding areas.
Ceri said: “You buy a dress or suit for prom and then it stays in your wardrobe for years and years.
“A lot of families now are squeezing with Universal Credit cuts and energy bills going through the roof.
“At the moment, all of the dresses are living in my dining room. As this is our pilot year, we don’t have a permanent venue, so I will be running the whole thing from my house.
“I don’t want people to see this as a secondary option. It’s not just for people who can’t afford a new dress – it is also a way to help the environment and create that cycle, rather than dresses going to waste.”
Prom is one event where parents are often expected to fork out huge sums of money for their teenage children to celebrate the end of high school.
But Ceri says it should not be all about expense.
She added: “When my daughters were going to prom, I remember them telling me that some of the kids were having dresses that cost upwards of £800.
“And if you are in that friendship group when everyone can afford that sort of money, but you can’t, that’s where the peer pressure comes in.
“Through my work with HCT we have seen a massive increase in the number of families in need.
“We have people relying on us who were donating just a couple of years ago. That is how quick the switch has been.”
Ceri says a small fee will be charged for the prom dresses, which will be returned if the dress is brought back afterwards.
She hopes it will create a more circular economy instead of one of waste.
She also hopes to partner with local schools and host try-on sessions in the school hall.
Local people who have never before been involved in charity work have even been dedicating their time to making the dresses look their best as they have been so touched by the appeal.
Ceri said: “Particularly after the Covid years, my goodness me these kids deserve a celebration for the sacrifices they have had to make.”
To donate dresses or to request a dress try-on, you can contact HCT on their Facebook page at https://www. facebook.com/groups/ HCThelpingcaringteam