Low-income families VS The promise of Prom
Is there a way around the stigma surrounding those asking for help?
Imagine you’re a single mum, cash is limited, and you only want to send your daughter to prom in a beautiful dress. But it’s not that easy, many parents are priced out of the boutiques and shops and there’s a stigma around asking for help. So, Jo set about changing that. Now, thanks to her dedication to setting up a prom resource, hundreds of girls have been kitted out in their perfect prom dresses for a special night of memories. Sophia Wale investigates how this started.
Sixty-year-old Jo is a hero in many people’s eyes for her charitable ways and kind heart. Jo shares her experience running a charity for low-income families and the pros and cons of running a non-profitable organisation.
Her body language feels so open as she sits relaxed in her chair soaking into the plush velvet, eye contact flutters between the dresses surrounding us and myself, she looked at ease, yet it was obvious she was hardworking. A mother and daughter talk about the greatness of this charity and how ‘dedicated and selfless’ Jo is.
So, what does she do?
Photo By: Sophia Wale
Photo By: Sophia Wale
Starting in July 2019, Jo was inspired by a woman in Andover who was running a similar charity, she decided she wanted to act herself. Being a single mum when her daughter went to prom nine years ago, she had to look for cheaper alternatives. She needed a shop that was selling reduced dresses but that just wasn’t on offer. As she looks back on it, she says this was an anxious time because her fear was that she wouldn’t be able to send her daughter to prom.
In Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire, 450 prom dresses beautifully await, ready to be rented out free of charge to low-income families, who frankly cannot afford the extortionate prices of prom dresses. Booking an appointment via Jo, customers are welcome to come along try on or just browse the dresses out for offer. Ranging from size 4-22, with 150 brand new dresses donated, there is no judgement.
Families are left struggling to send their teenagers to prom, and many are aware that money is an issue within their household, so avoid going overall. High-end boutiques can be intimidating for families struggling finically and feeling peer-pressured to buy lavish and high-priced dresses. Therefore, Jo gives them this chance.
She says: “Prom was not big when I was young, money spent on proms now is ridiculous and everyone feels the need to compete, young girls from low-income families are embarrassed,” she said.
Lindy and Jessamine Shilling-Ford are not in the category of Jo’s charity. However, Lindy has struggled to entertain the idea of prom with Jessamine who had no interest. Finding Jo’s Facebook page, Lindy reached out to her.
This was a different scenario for Jo, she had to sit and think on it for a while and deciding it was the right thing to do she made an exception for them. Jo explained how she ‘admired’ Jessamine for her charity work for two years since the age of 14 and saw her younger self within her.
Speaking with Jessamine, she gave me a sense of why she didn’t want to attend prom she couldn’t justify spending ‘countless pounds’ on a dress and prom was embodied as ‘pointless.’
Lindy and Jessamine were delighted as Jo allowed Jessamine to try on some dresses, they felt overwhelmed by her kindness. Walking into the room bustling with 450 prom dresses, Lindy couldn’t believe that Jo solely created this charity from donations and her own money, “Jo is a hero to those left struggling in the society we live in, she is a shining star.”
‘Magical’ was the way Jessamine felt trying on those dresses, she never thought she would see herself in something so lavish, feeling a range of emotions and pure joy. Seeing her mother shed a tear because she looked so ‘beautiful and grown up’ made Jessamine feel so pleased she had this opportunity.
Jessamine said: “I never felt uncomfortable or rushed by Jo with trying the dresses, offering her help trying them on and advice on dresses, I couldn’t be any more grateful.”
Photo By: Lindy Shilling-ford
Finding her perfect dress, Lindy and Jessamine agreed they felt a wave of sadness come over them, the realisation that charities are so important to low-income families who are struggling, Jo is a singular woman offering help.
Graph By: UK Parliament; Poverty in the UK statistics
Graph By: UK Parliament; Poverty in the UK statistics
Here are a few of the many charities supporting prom!
When Jo spoke about a memorable dress fitting the emotions took over. Her eyes began to look glassy.
She speaks about a mum who came in with three daughters, it was the eldest prom and was ‘painfully shy’ and struggling with social interaction. After battling with her to attend the dress fitting, she finally did and was beaming after the first dress, trying different styles and chatting away, Jo said: she looked ‘incredible’ in every dress.
Afterwards, her mum told Jo that her daughter had never shown emotion until then, battling with mental health her whole life she closed herself off. Tears ran down Jo’s face, her eyes teary yet shined with happiness talking about this young woman.
This was the beautiful dress chosen.
Photo By: Sophia Wale
Photo By: Sophia Wale
Photo By: Sophia Wale
Photo By: Sophia Wale
Meeting with Jo felt like positivity and the warmth of sunshine radiated from her, she was made for the interview lifestyle, and you could see the passion and love for her charity in every word she spoke. Receiving an invitation from BBC Radio Solent, Jo made it onto the breakfast show in November 2022. Being invited to the show cemented her confidence that the charity was doing good in the world, big or small.
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