Devon community project The Prom Promise aims to ensure no young person misses their prom because of financial hardship

A new community-led project in Devon is giving pre-loved prom dresses a second life and helping young people feel confident, included and special on one of the biggest nights of their school years.

Led by Nicole Barriball, Children’s Community Nurse within Children and Family Health Devon (CFHD), The Prom Promise is a Community Interest Company (CIC) founded with a simple aim: to make sure that financial circumstances do not mean a young person has to miss out on their prom.

The project collects beautiful pre-loved and donated prom dresses and makes them available to young people through a dress-lending scheme. Instead of families having to spend hundreds of pounds on an outfit that may only be worn once, young people can choose a dress they love, enjoy their special night and return it afterwards so it can be passed on to someone else.

Founder Nicole said, “I wanted to create something that meant a young person never had to feel that their family’s financial situation should stop them from enjoying their prom. Every young person deserves the chance to walk into that room feeling confident, comfortable and proud of who they are.

“The dresses are obviously a huge part of what we do, but The Prom Promise is about so much more than a dress. It’s about inclusion, community and creating those memories that young people will carry with them. And by giving beautiful dresses another life, we’re also doing something positive for the environment.”

The project is also responding to the growing need for more sustainable approaches to fashion. Prom dresses are often expensive garments that may only be worn once before being stored away or discarded. By lending rather than selling dresses, The Prom Promise aims to keep quality clothing in use for longer and reduce unnecessary textile waste.

Demand is already exceeding the project’s current capacity. As a new and growing initiative, The Prom Promise is currently unable to accept new referrals until it has sufficient fitting space to offer appointments.

The team is now looking towards the next stage of its development: creating a dedicated, boutique-style space where young people can browse and try on dresses in a welcoming, inclusive and pressure-free environment.

Longer term, The Prom Promise hopes to expand its collection to include suits and other formalwear, while developing sustainable income streams that can be reinvested into the project and allow it to support more young people across the community.

The vision is to create a lasting community resource where pre-loved fashion creates new memories rather than ending up in landfill.

Nicole continues: “Our dream is to build something that becomes a real community resource, somewhere a young person can walk through the door and know that they belong, regardless of their circumstances. We’re only at the beginning, and we’re excited about what The Prom Promise could become with the support of our local community.”

The Prom Promise is currently looking for support as it grows, including donations of suitable formalwear, community connections, potential fitting space and people who can help spread the word about the project.

To find out more, follow The Prom Promise or get in touch:

Website: www.theprompromise.co.uk
Email: theprompromisesw@gmail.com
Instagram: @theprompromise