As part of the IB CAS (creativity, activity, service) module, Year 13 students Juliette, Margot, Karah and Casilda are busy gathering donations for this year’s Dress It Forward campaign.

Dress It Forward collects pre-loved dresses and suits from both the UK and South Africa and gives them free to students in the townships of South Africa where the graduation (or ‘Matric’) ball is a momentous occasion for the few who manage to graduate.

In a part of the world where poverty and prejudice consume daily life, the chances of a student being able to succeed in school are very low. Drugs, gangs and shootings are risks that citizens face on a day-to-day basis, with Cape Town being ranked amongst the top 10 most violent cities in the world. As a result, students are at times frightened to even leave the house to get to school, yet being at home also presents difficulties as houses are often very crowded and without electricity.

In this context, passing the matric exams is a massive achievement and a ball is held for those who have been successful in their exams as a reminder and celebration of their hard work and incredible resilience. So few students actually graduate that those who do are treated like celebrities, and attending the high school prom is a real sign of achievement, and the most important day of their lives.

Many, however, are too poor to buy an outfit and Dress It Forward relieves families of the financial burden of the graduation ball.

The charity was started by alumna Clair Short, née Titley, (RS 1998) who came across the incredible and moving story of teenage girls living in the townships of South Africa, who sacrifice everything to have the graduation ball of their dreams, during visits to South Africa to visit her sister, alumna Sarah Waries, née Titley, (RHSB 2001). Since sending over 60 dresses to South Africa in their first year in 2018, of which 43 outfits came from the Royal High School Bath community, the charity has gone from strength to strength and now provides dress, suits, shirts and accessories to teens passing their 'matric' in the slums and townships outside Cape Town.

Please have a rummage around for any formal dresses or suits that could be used again by someone else. Also spread the word amongst family, friends, neighbours ... we would particularly like to ask for suits so are calling out for brothers, cousins, dads, etc to look through their wardrobes too!

We are now collecting donations at Royal High School Bath; please either deliver bagged items marked ‘Dress It Forward’ to our main Senior School Reception or post to:

Dress It Forward

c/o Royal High School Bath

Lansdown Road

Bath

BA1 5SZ

All donations must be received by Wednesday 14^th December 2022 when term ends.

Thank you – please look through your cupboards, drawers and wardrobes and spare anything you can!

For more information visit https://dressitforward.net/. Please like, share and follow Dress It Forward on FaceBook and Instagram:

https://www.facebook.com/dressit4ward

https://www.instagram.com/dressitforward/

Thank you for your support - anything given will be very gratefully received!