North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has applauded a young woman from Llandudno who has been awarded a prestigious award by the Prime Minister for setting up a charity which loans prom dresses and suits to hundreds of students who otherwise couldn't afford to celebrate finishing school.
Speaking in the Welsh Parliament yesterday, Mr Isherwood congratulated Ally Elouise on being awarded the Prime Minister’s ‘Points of Light’ Award, and on everything she has achieved since establishing ‘Prom Ally’ five years ago.
Mr Isherwood spoke of the achievements of Ally when calling for a Welsh Government Statement on help for young people facing financial hardship.
He said: “This is in the context of the charity established by Ally Elouise in Llandudno in 2015, which offers free loans of over 3,000 suits and prom dresses to hundreds of students who otherwise couldn't afford to celebrate finishing school.
“Ally has been awarded the Prime Minister's Points of Light Award, and she e-mailed last week, stating 'I' would be grateful if you could share or promote this in order to help as many young people facing financial hardship as possible to attend their school proms this year.' I call for a Statement accordingly”.
The Trefnydd, Rebecca Evans AM, also congratulated Ally, stating: “We know the cost of attending a prom can really be prohibitive and a worry for some families, so I take my hat off to Ally and the ingenuity she's shown in ensuring that young people can enjoy what is a very special moment in their school, or the ending of their school, lives”.
Ally Elouise was inspired to set up the charity in 2015 after watching a TV documentary 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 started 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, she 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.
To find out more about Prom Ally visit: https://www.promally.co.uk/