Prom Ally
1299. Ally Elouise
Ally Elouise, from Llandudno, created ‘Prom Ally’ which offers free loans of over 3,000 suits and prom dresses to hundreds of students who otherwise could not afford to celebrate finishing school.
Ally Elouise was inspired to set up the charity in 2015 after watching a TV documentary with her father about families struggling with financial hardships and featuring a girl struggling to attend an end of year school prom. Realising this was a way in which she could make a difference for other families, Ally Elouise started by purchasing dresses from charity shops using money from her 21st birthday that she could loan out to those in need. Soon receiving hundreds of donated clothes, Ally Elouise registered her initiative as a charity to provide a free and confidential service working with schools, local services and charities across the UK on a referral basis.
In a personal letter to Ally Elouise, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“I know you do this with no thought of praise or reward, but allow me to offer my own recognition of how your brilliant idea of loaning out prom dresses and suits, to those who might not ordinarily have them, is allowing students to celebrate the milestone of finishing school.”
Ally Elouise said:
“I feel so honoured to have been chosen by the Prime Minister to receive this Points of Light Award. In 2015 I set up ‘Prom Ally’ with the intention of helping a small number of local girls attend their school prom that year. I never would have imagined it to be helping hundreds of young people all around the country five years later! I couldn’t do it without the support I get from the public and all of the kind dress and suit donations I receive every day. I want to dedicate this award to everyone who has helped ‘Prom Ally’ grow bigger and bigger each year. The ultimate goal is that eventually no-one will have to miss their school prom due to financial hardship!”