From left Ladies Committee member Lynn Mirza, nurse Emma Ward, Ladies Committee member Judi Gilbert, Suzanne Virdee and Ladies Committee member Julie Ward
Celebrate Royal Wedding by Donating Your Dress to Hospice
April 27, 2011
Women across Birmingham and Sandwell are being asked to celebrate the Royal Wedding this month by donating their wedding dress to a charity which cares for people with life-limiting illnesses.
Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice is appealing for donations of wedding garments for its Heeley Road shop in Selly Oak to help it transform its small selection of matrimonial outfits into a complete bridal salon.
To kick off the appeal BBC Midlands Today news presenter Suzanne Virdee has donated a bridesmaid’s outfit while Julie Ward, who used to own Precious Collections, a former city centre wedding boutique, has gifted a range of stock.
Suzanne said: “The wedding dress appeal is a really meaningful way of marking the Royal Wedding, as donations will make a huge difference to local families coping with terminal illness. With all the charity work the Royal family does, I’m sure they’d be very supportive of this idea.
“So if you’ve got a wedding dress or some kind of bridal outfit that’s been tucked away in the loft for years, why not dig it out for Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice.”
Julie Ward, who is also a member of the hospice’s Ladies’ Committee of fundraisers, added: “When my fellow committee member Lynn Mirza contacted me with this idea to celebrate the Royal Wedding, I thought I know exactly how I can help. I’m delighted to donate some of my old stock to the hospice, as I know what good it does in the community.”
Donations, which can be of dresses, veils, tiaras, shoes or any other wedding items, will be coordinated by hospice Retail Manager Pam Stanley, who explained the reason for the appeal.
“There’s real scope in this area for a used bridal salon offering a range of wedding outfits. With the cost of weddings running into thousands of pounds, we’ll be able to offer some top design dresses and very low prices.
“We already have a selection of wedding dresses on the first floor of our Heeley Road shop but I want to transform the room into a complete bridal store. And with everyone thinking about weddings at the moment, we thought it was a great time to launch an appeal,” Pam said.
To donate a wedding dress or bridal outfit to Birmingham St Mary’s, please contact the Heeley Road shop on 0121 472 1500.
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