Colchester: Say Yes To The Prom Dress Event in October

Andrea Taylor, 52, and Sarah Barker, 40, have both lived and worked in Colchester for years and are work colleagues at The Stanway School, in Winstree Road.

Six years ago, Andrea, the assistant head of year 10, and Sarah, the assistant head of year 11, came to the realisation that many students were spending “hundreds of pounds” for prom dresses and suits.

They decided to set up the Say Yes To The Prom Dress Events at Stanway School as way of making prom attire and accessories accessible to every student, no matter their financial background.

Team - Say Yes To The Prom Dress Events members (left to right) Ellie Johnson, Sarah Tile, Rachel Abbott, Andrea Taylor, Sarah Barker, Katie Henderson, and Clare Hall (Image: Stanway School) The pair organise events where pupils across the Sigma Trust are able to visit Stanway School for a prom shop experience, which essentially is completely free.

A typical event will run from 4.30pm to 7pm on select dates at the school’s gym.

Youngsters can turn up without an appointment and peruse the many prom suits, dresses, bags, shoes, and accessories they have acquired through generous donations.

Once an outfit has been found, the students can rent them for free or for a small donation which goes straight back into the organisation’s next prom shopping event.

School - The Stanway School (Image: Stanway School) After prom which most schools tend to hold in June for year 11s, they simply have to return everything they were loaned in a decent state.

The brilliant organisation will then get the goods washed, steam-cleaned, and pay for any slight alterations that may be needed, before they then get put back out for the next event.

Andrea said: "We were figuring that boys and girls were paying hundreds of pounds for prom dresses and suits, which they couldn’t really afford, and that they would be turning 17 soon and may want to pay for driving lessons.

“We wanted it to be accessible for every student.

Rentable - prom dresses (Image: Stanway School) “They will literally take the dress or suit away for free.”

Say Yes To The Prom Dress Events relies on financial and garment donations.

Everyone involved admirably gives up their time for free for the popular events as well.

Over the years, the organisation has received a huge clothing donation from Anthony Formal Hire and from families.

Popular - another image from an event last year (Image: Stanway School) During a typical event, which normally sees an excess of 60 youngsters attend, they are treated to a non-alcoholic glass of something fizzy, and they can peruse numerous rails of goods.

There are also tables of shoes, changing room facilities, mirrors, music, and voluntary student helpers on hand. There is also free parking.

Now, Say Yes To The Prom Dress Events, has expanded and they happy to help any school student in Essex.

Andrea said: “It is so rewarding and fulfilling, we are just giving back.

“We’ve been to proms, we’ve see the girls and boys wearing the items, they feel like a million dollars and that is all we want.

“It is lovely, the evenings are the best fun, to see students with smiles on their faces.

“We love seeing empty clothing rails.

“We have opened it to everybody, anyone in any school Essex, if you can get to us then please come.”

If you would like to donate, all you have to do is bring the prom-suitable attire to The Stanway School Reception, Sarah or Andrea will then collect it.

Say Yes To The Prom Dress Events holds three events a year.

Its next three events are on October 25, November 22, and January 24, 2025.

To find out more, visit stanway.essex.sch.uk.