When Charlotte Summers was looking for her batmitzvah dress, to keep costs down, she and her mum headed to a sample sale.
Now, she is giving others the chance to buy the dress of their dreams at a fraction of the original price by organising a sale of good quality second-hand dresses, with all proceeds going to charity.
The 12-year-old member of New North London Synagogue in Finchley told the JC that after publicising that she would be holding a dress sale via adverts in shop windows and on WhatsApp and Facebook groups set up by her mum, Miranda, she was inundated with inquiries.
Not only did friends donate their preloved dresses (with the prerequisite that they were in very good condition) but new frocks also arrived from boutiques. Dresses from fashionable brands Elsa, Lipsy and Universe of Cool are among those on sale.
Charlotte said: “I now have about 60 dresses for people aged nine to 14, not only for batmitzvah girls, but also for people going to parties. We also have some which are more appropriate for shul.”
While she is hoping that the dresses, which range in price from £5 to £40, will sell out, she plans to put anything left over into an online sale, or donate them to someone planning a similar event.
The two charities – Chai Cancer Care and Finchley Foodbank – which will share the proceeds are both close to her heart, she said. “Chai Cancer Care helped my dad’s dad when he had cancer. He has now fully recovered, but when he was unwell, he and my grandma went to therapeutic classes at Chai, and they said that the charity was brilliant.”
Charlotte chose Finchley Foodbank as she wanted to donate to a local charity that didn’t just serve the Jewish community. “During Covid, we held a cake sale outside our house to raise money for them, and I have also helped out there before.”
Asked if there had been any challenges in setting up a shop – albeit a very temporary one – Charlotte, who attends JCoSS and Noam youth movement, said: “The biggest one has been that it has taken my mum a long time to drive all over London collecting the dresses, and organising the sale has turned into a full-time job. We’ve now got to attach all the labels.”
As for the positives, “it’s been really nice seeing the different styles of dresses, and it’s made me think more about giving to charity as I’ve been preparing for my batmitzvah in December. I think it’s very important to give to charity to help make things better, especially at the moment, when things aren’t so easy for many people.”
The charity dress sale is on September 6 from 1pm-5pm in north-west London. To attend and/or donate dresses, email: mirandalevey@yahoo.co.uk
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