Our Ambition for 2027
The demand for the Pre-Loved Prom Pop-Up Shop continues to grow every year.
To support even more young people, Key Lime plans to open the shop for seven consecutive days during half-term - from Monday 15th February to Sunday 21st February 2027.
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Extending the opening period will allow more students and families to access the service, provide additional fitting and alteration appointments, and help us reach even more young people who need support.
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Although the project has generated more than £150,000 of social value, it is only possible because of the incredible generosity of volunteers, donors, and community partners.
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To deliver a seven-day Pop-Up Shop in 2027, we estimate we need to raise approximately £10,000 to cover essential costs.
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Importantly, this budget assumes that all staffing, coordination, and support continues to be provided voluntarily.
How You Can Help
To help us achieve our goal, we will be launching a JustGiving campaign where anyone can donate and play their part in making prom possible.
Every contribution, no matter the size, will help us support more young people and ensure that cost is never a barrier to attending prom.
You can support the project by:
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Donating through our JustGiving page
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Sponsoring the project as a business or organisation
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Volunteering your time and skills
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Donating dresses, suits, shoes, accessories, or beauty products
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Sharing our campaign with your family, friends, and colleagues
Together We Can Do More
The success of the Pre-Loved Prom Pop-Up Shop belongs to our community.
Thanks to the support of local people, volunteers, schools, businesses, Beauty Banks, Rewritten, our dedicated seamstresses, and countless donors, more than 300 young people have already benefited from this initiative.
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Help Us Raise £10,000 for 2027
Together, we can open our doors for seven days, reach more young people than ever before, and continue building a project that is changing lives one prom at a time.
Every donation. Every volunteer hour. Every act of kindness.
Together, we're making prom possible.
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The Story So Far...
At Key Lime, we believe that every young person deserves the opportunity to celebrate their achievements and enjoy the milestone of prom, regardless of their financial circumstances.
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In 2024, we carried out a survey with local families and young people to understand the true cost of attending prom. The findings were striking: the average cost of prom was £831 per young person, with expenses including clothing, shoes, accessories, beauty treatments, transport, tickets, and photography.
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For many families, these costs create significant financial pressure and can leave young people feeling excluded from an important rite of passage.
We knew something had to change.
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In response, Key Lime launched the Pre-Loved Prom Pop-Up Shop, a project designed to remove financial barriers, promote sustainability, and ensure that every young person has the opportunity to attend prom with confidence.
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What started as a simple idea has grown into a powerful community initiative that brings together schools, businesses, volunteers, donors, and local organisations to support young people across our region.
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The Impact So Far
Since launching the project, we have:
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Supported more than 300 teenagers to attend their prom.
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Distributed over £150,000 worth of donated items and services.
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Secured generous support from organisations including Beauty Banks and Rewritten.
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Received more than £20,000 worth of professional seamstress time, ensuring dresses and outfits can be altered and tailored to fit perfectly.
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Helped families save hundreds of pounds while ensuring young people can celebrate with dignity and confidence.
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Prevented hundreds of items of clothing from going to landfill by giving them a second life.
Every dress, suit, pair of shoes, accessory, beauty product, and alteration has played a part in helping a young person create lasting memories.
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More Than Just a Dress
The Pre-Loved Prom Pop-Up Shop is about far more than clothing.
It's about confidence.
It's about inclusion.
It's about ensuring that no young person feels left behind because of the cost of attending prom.
Through the generosity of our community, we have created a welcoming space where young people can find an outfit they love, receive support from volunteers, and prepare for one of the most memorable evenings of their school life.
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The funding will help cover:
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Dress and garment bags to protect promwear
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Refreshments and wellbeing support for volunteers
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An overlocking machine and equipment for our volunteer seamstresses
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Event materials and signage
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Storage and transportation costs
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Cleaning, preparation, and presentation of donated items
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General operational costs associated with running a week-long community event
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We are also seeking additional volunteer support, promwear donations, corporate sponsorship, and in-kind contributions to help the project continue to grow.
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We've operated in a void unit at The Baytree Shopping Centre in Brentwood, Essex for the past two years and are working on a venue for 2027.
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The next chapter...
With your help, we can continue to grow, support even more families, and ensure everyone in the class of 2027 has the opportunity to celebrate their achievements with confidence.
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