WHAT WE'RE ABOUT
Prom Ally CIC provides free prom dress and suit loans to school pupils, sixth formers, and college students across the UK who otherwise couldn’t afford one.
We work on a referral basis, partnering with schools, social services, food banks, and other charities to identify young people in need. Since we began, we’ve proudly loaned out hundreds of outfits and recently expanded our collection to include a wide range of suits too.
Prom Ally began with just 15 dresses, all lovingly sourced from local charity shops. Today, we’ve received over 3,000 donated dresses from individuals and businesses across the UK. Our collection now includes dresses, suits, shirts, and trousers — all generously donated and carefully quality-checked before every loan.
In April 2020, Prom Ally became a Community Interest Company (CIC). This allows us to sell and hire formalwear through our social enterprise, helping fund our core mission of making prom accessible for everyone.
Hey, I’m Ally — I’m the founder of Prom Ally CIC.
I studied law at university and later worked as a 1:1 teaching assistant, which gave me real insight into the challenges some young people face day to day.
Prom Ally started after I watched a TV programme with my dad about families living in poverty. One story really stuck with me - a teenage girl who couldn’t afford a prom dress. It broke my heart. I realised how many young people might miss out on prom, not because they didn’t want to go, but because they simply couldn’t afford to.
Prom is becoming a huge deal, and with that, the cost of dresses and suits keeps rising. I started Prom Ally to make sure no one misses out on a special night because of money. Everyone deserves to feel amazing, celebrated, and confident - no matter their background.
SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY
At Prom Ally, our mission goes beyond providing formalwear for young people - we’re passionate about supporting our local community in meaningful ways. Over the years, we’ve taken part in various projects aimed at uplifting and assisting those in need, from local outreach initiatives to collaborative events with other community organisations. Giving back is at the heart of what we do, and we’re always looking for new ways to make a positive impact beyond prom season.
We work directly with another local CIC called ReSource who use waste and recycled materials to offer workshops to their local community. These include crafting, up-cycling and re-purposing. They also have a Scrap Store.
Any textile waste we have or damaged, soiled, un-useable garments are donated to ReSource to ensure they don't just end up in landfill.
We have proudly worked with Big Ideas Wales as part of their network of Role Models, delivering engaging and impactful activities within schools.
By showcasing the skills, attitudes, and resilience needed to succeed, we’ve provided students with a valuable insight into what it’s really like to start and run a business, helping to raise aspirations and encourage an entrepreneurial mindset among young people.
Y Tŷ Gwyrdd kindly stock a rail of Prom Ally pre-loved dresses. The community hub has been created to offer an inclusive and welcoming space for the local community, to celebrate and promote the inspiring people and enterprises in Denbigh and the surrounding area, and to help reduce the communities’ impact on the environment by offering affordable and accessible zero-waste options and opportunities to facilitate a circular economy.