SCHOOLS, community groups and organisations can showcase their inner fashionistas – and support Sunderland’s charity retail sector.
As part of Pride In Sunderland – which runs throughout June – Sunderland BID and organisers Out North East are working with charity shops in the city centre and beyond.
The initiative was launched a few months ago, when representatives from charities attended a special workshop with a view to supporting Pride.
And that has culminated in an initiative to create special fashion looks on a Pride theme – using clothes available in the stores – which will appear in shop windows.
Fashion students from the University of Sunderland have already created a range of looks which will be showcased in June and now the hunt is on for more people to get involved and create Pride-related outfits for shop windows in Blandford Street.
Charities including the British Heart Foundation, Age UK, Cancer Research, Red Sky Foundation, FACT, The Children’s Society and the Salvation Army are all supporting the project, which will also showcase the valuable contribution the stores make to the retail sector.
Groups wanting to take part will be assigned a particular store and will be given a range of items from that store to turn them into a Pride-worthy look.
They will be supplied with some additional materials to give their outfit the wow factor before the finished article is displayed.
Sharon Appleby, Chief Executive of Sunderland BID, hopes people will get behind the scheme.
“This is a great opportunity for schools and community groups to show their creativity and support both the retail sector and Pride In Sunderland,” she said.
“The charity retail sector is vital to the local economy and we hope this event will showcase their value and also how people can both donate and volunteer.”
All of the finished articles will be in place by June 14, which will coincide with a Proudly Preloved event in Blandford Street that day.
Anyone wanting to take part must register their interest by 12 May.
Along with being able to see the finished designs, charities which don’t have a base in the street can take advantage of a free pop-up event where they can give out information, recruit volunteers or sell items.
Spaces for this are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Anyone wanting to be involved in the fashion challenge or have a pop up stall should email caspin@sunderlandbid.co.uk