Colchester: Say Yes To The Prom Dress at Stanway School hosts event

Say Yes To The Prom Dress at Stanway School, in Winstree Road, saw youngsters pick out outfits to ensure they looked dapper for their prom. 

Stanway School assistant head of year 10, Andrea Taylor, 52, and assistant head of year 11, Sarah Barker, 40, conceived the idea six years ago.

The pair had come to the realisation that many student were spending hundreds of pounds for prom dresses and suits – garments of clothing they would only basically wear for one event.

Location - The Stanway School (Image: Newsquest) Event - signage (Image: Newsquest) Say Yes To The Prom Dress was set up as a way of making prom attire and accessories accessible to every student, no matter their financial background.

It’s continued to grow in popularity over the years, and they run typically a select few events each year for students not just at Stanway but for anyone who can make it.

Dozens of students and parents flocked to the event on Friday, which took place at the school’s gym hall.

Running from 3.30pm to 7pm, youngsters turned up and were greeted with a free sparkly non-alcoholic drink, music, and helpers were on hand as they hunted for prom attire and accessories.

Hall - Say Yes to The Prom Dress at Stanway School (Image: Newsquest) The team - (left to right), Heidi Taylor 22, Andrea Taylor 52, Sarah Barker 40, Danielle Lovett 46, Laura Smith Sargeant 42, and Claire Hall (Image: Newsquest) Complimentary - non-alcoholic drinks for attendees (Image: Newsquest)

There was a section for suits for boys, and many prom dress options, shoes, bags, and more set out rails across the large hall.  There are fitting rooms for the pupils to try the donated goods on.

All items are free, the pupils rent them and simply must return them in good condition – a optional financial donation is appreciated by the organisation.

They will then be washed and renewed for the next year’s events.

Sofia Woolnough, a year 11 student, 15, went prom dress shopping with her mother, Jane Woolnough, 54, on Friday.

Happy - Sofia and Jane Woolnough (Image: Newsquest) She found a “lovely dress” after four different fittings

Sofia said: “I’m really excited for prom. I think doing Say Yes To The Prom Dress is such a great experience as you don’t have to spend a ridiculous amount of money on a dress you’re only going to wear once.

“It can be recycled; I think it is really great.”

Jane thinks the events are “amazing” and believes parents and pupils are “really lucky to have this opportunity”.

“We were kind of a bit iffy about coming but here we are, and we couldn’t have dreamed of finding a better dress," she said. 

Yeva Buhaieva, 15, is a pupil at Stanway School, and attended the event as her friends were going and she was curious about what was available after hearing a lot about it.

Delighted - mum and daughter Olya Neshcheret and Yeva Buhaieva (Image: Newsquest) Donations - accessories (Image: Newsquest) “It is so awesome; it was a really good experience.

“I feel the dress I chose was the best.”

Her mother, Olya Neshcheret, said: “Even if we were willing to buy a new dress, which is not sensible as it is one time thing, the dresses here are so great, there is a lot of variety."

Fellow Stanway School pupil Emily Cox, 15, came after school with her mother, Sarah Cox. She tried four or five dresses on before finding a puffy, pink dress which she thinks is “perfect”.

Emily said: “After seeing the amount of clothing they have tonight, and how much it has helped everyone, is really amazing.

Found the perfect dress - daughter and mum Emily and Sarah Cox (Image: Newsquest)

Colourful - some of the options available (Image: Newsquest)Sarah said: “I think it is amazing, I just spoke to friend who knows someone that spent £500 on their daughter’s prom dress.

“I mean I would be willing to spend anything on my daughter, but the fact she has come along and picked this is brilliant, I also can’t believe how little they ask you to donate.”

Sarah Barker was very pleased with how the event went.

She said: “Seeing where it is now, it feels me with warmth, this is true community spirit, it’s an amazing community spirit.

“Today has had such a good turnout, normally it takes a couple of hours to get started, whereas they were queuing to get in, it was incredible, the staff were buzzing.

“Nobody is getting paid to do this, it just makes everyone so happy.”

Its next two events are on  November 22, and January 24, 2025.

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