Preloved Fashion Show Raises over £3,000 for Local Hospice

Rennie Grove Peace fashion show Nov 2024

Staff, volunteers and supporters of a local hospice charity were among the models taking to the catwalk for a charity fashion show that raised over £3,000.

The preloved fashion show, at Pendley Manor Hotel, was a collaboration between Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care and Luxe Leopard Lifestyle. Over 40 individual outfits showcased on the evening had been sourced from Rennie Grove Peace charity shops thanks to the shop managers or from the organisation’s eBay store and curated by the personal stylist, Alex Standley of Luxe Leopard Lifestyle.

The outfits were modelled by people who all had a connection to Rennie Grove Peace – from the charity’s staff and supporters to volunteers and relatives of former patients.

Mandy from Hemel Hempstead volunteers as a Compassionate Neighbour with the charity and was one of the models on the night. Ahead of the show she spoke to the audience about her experience of volunteering with Rennie Grove Peace and how she, and the person she supports, benefit from it.

After the event Personal Stylist, Alex Standley of Luxe Leopard Lifestyle, commented: ‘I love changing perceptions on what it means to shop second-hand, and in particular, from charity shops. It’s an important part of my mission to bring the fun back into style, as eco anxiety and creating more conscious consumption habits can feel heavy and overwhelming. This event enabled us to showcase to the audience not only the fact that you can find relevant, trend-led pieces in your local charity shop but also how much fun you can have putting together pre-loved looks.’

Emma Thompson, Director of Marketing at Rennie Grove Peace, was a co-creator of the event. She said: ‘As a charity, the income generated through our shops is absolutely vital to delivering our hospice care services. With donations from ticket sales, raffle tickets plus purchases of items straight off the catwalk via a ‘pop-up shop’ after the show, we raised over £3,000 and also received 45 bags of donations for our shops from guests who were invited to bring a bag of clothes to donate on the night.

‘We also raised awareness and encouraged people to visit their local Rennie Grove Peace shop regularly to see what else they can pick up and how their clothes shopping can make a difference in our local community.’

To find your local Rennie Grove Peace shop, visit renniegrovepeace.org/shops.