A SCHEME is prom-ising to help struggling families find the perfect outfits for their children.

A Prom For All is aiming to fight the stigma against wearing second hand outfits for even the classiest of occasions.

Nicola Jackson, from Family Focus, said: “A colleague of mine was asked by a social worker if she could help to source a dress for a young girl as it was causing trouble at home.

“She was inundated by donations so we decided to be proactive to help young people to get outfits.

“We have about 162 dresses and 15 suits, along with various trousers, ties, shoes and fascinators. We are so grateful for the donations. They are all immaculate.

“If a young person needs help to get an outfit they need to be referred to us by a school worker or social worker.

“I will then give them an invite so they can come down and pick which dress or suit they would like.

“We are hoping to set up a mass salon so that the girls can come along and get their hair, makeup and nails done on the day of their prom."

She said volunteers are on hand to help pick up any unwanted outfits and to hand out leaflets.

“It’s such a community active project which has got lots of people involved," she said.

“We will be setting up a GoFundMe fundraising page so people can sponsor kits for the young people.

“The kits will include a small eyeshadow palette, fake tan and fake eyelashes. People can also choose to sponsor a corsage. Tropic are also donating to help out the young people.

“The executive manager Claire Burns has been very helpful.

“My ultimate aim is to change the culture so that young people see that it’s okay to wear outfits that are not brand new. It is meant to be a celebration of their education but there is a lot of pressure.

“We are hoping to make this sustainable and to help it run itself.

Visit the drop off points at The Nan Tait Centre, Barrow, Ulverston Library, Millom Library and Kendal’s County Hall.