Ally Elouise

Prom Ally CIC is a non-profit social enterprise which I founded back in 2015. We provide the free loan of prom dresses and suits to teenagers facing financial hardship. We also encourage the re-use and recycling of garments to keep them out of landfill for as long as possible by selling them in our preloved shop in Rhos-on-sea.

I started the CIC when I was in university because I heard a story about a young girl who couldn't afford a prom dress. She was looking in charity shops but couldn't find anything she liked and therefore wasn't wanting to go to the school prom with her friends and peers. I wondered if there was anything out there to help teens in this position and decided to set up Prom Ally. I started by buying all the formal dresses I could find in charity shops with my 21st birthday money & asking friends on Facebook if they had any to donate. This was originally only targeted at helping my own high school however quickly spiralled when I witnessed how big the demand for help was. Prom Ally CIC is now UK wide, and we help teenagers all over with a free outfit. 

Our biggest problem is and has always been funding and storage space, but we've managed to apply for different grants over the years and have been successful in sourcing an affordable storage unit. We now have multiple income streams from grant funding to selling preloved formalwear in our shop and at pop-up events!

I love being my own boss because I can prioritise whatever part of the business I think is most important and don't have to explain those choices to anyone! (Although as a CIC and not a normal business, we do have a Board of Directors, so I do still have to make sure they're on board with any big decisions!)