Rotherham College Fashion students volunteer their skills for charity

Rotherham College Fashion students are volunteering their sewing skills in order to support local charity, Dresses for Angels.

The Killamarsh based charity provides funeral gown packs to families who have lost babies due to stillbirths and miscarriages. The packs are free of charge and contain baby outfits made from wedding, bridesmaid and prom dresses that have been ‘hand made with love’ by the team.

Starting in January 2016, Dresses for Angels have used 300 dresses to make outfits for 700 families across the UK. The Level 3 Fashion students will help them keep up with demand, introducing their own designs and ideas into the work to make every outfit unique and personal.

Each pack contains 16 outfits which are hand delivered to local hospitals and individual families, as well as posted further afield whenever they are requested.

The students will work on their project on visits to the Dresses for Angels workshop, assisting with tasks that are vital to the success of the charity.

“I’m really pleased about our collaboration with Rotherham College because I think the students will have new ideas and different perspectives to us,” said Lisa Fletcher, who began Dresses for Angels after losing her daughter Lillie Grace two years ago.

“The outfits we make are really gratefully received by the hospitals and families and are very important, so it’s great that the students want to work with us,” Lisa said.

The Fashion students will work on donated dresses and transform them into outfits, showcasing their work online. They are passionate about the opportunity, with some students even bringing in their own dresses to start work on.

“Dresses for Angels has really taken off and is expanding quickly,” Lisa said, “so it’s brilliant to have the students involved and giving us the opportunity to help as many families as possible.”

Elizabeth Dillingham, Curriculum Leader for Fashion at Rotherham College, said that chance will “give our students the amazing opportunity to utilise their creativity and learn vital skills, whilst helping such a worthy cause that provides for the local community and beyond.”

For more information about Rotherham College please visit: www.rotherham.ac.uk