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Dress for success: Manchester charity offers professional advice and attire for disadvantaged women

By Amy Betts

Dress for Success, a Manchester-based charity dedicated to providing disadvantaged women with professional support and attire, held their first ever event to celebrate their recent launch.

It has taken two years of hard work to set up the branch in Manchester and it is clear that a lot of organising has gone in to try to make the charity a success.

Marks and Spencers were there to showcase their latest autumn collection and beauty retailer Clarins were also on hand to provide treatments and makeovers.

Ellie Sutton, Head of Communications for Dress for Success, said: “We hope that events like this will make people in Manchester more aware of what we do.

“By gaining publicity it enables us to reach more women and the more women the better.”

The event was supported by Manchester Virgin Money Lounge which aims to support local charities around the area.

Carla O’Neill from the Virgin team said: “By supporting local causes we are able raise awareness which we hope can benefit people.”

Dress for Success provides professional clothing, interview training and a support network to boost confidence of women in the UK.

They are hoping to host more events in the future at their offices in Parsonage Chambers to showcase their stylists.

Ellie Sutton added: “We aim to dress people with their personality and try to help them regain their confidence through the clothes.”

The charity has found that many women in Manchester are open to wearing second hand clothes as it adds to the vintage feel.

The team are constantly working on future projects and are setting up a career centre which they hope can be opened in 2014.

If you are interested in volunteering or donating clothes for Dress for Success visit www.dressforsuccessmcr.org for more information.

Picture courtesy of Sara Ashley via Flickr, with thanks.

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