Ollerton woman turns house into dress shop for Alzheimer's Research UK
A woman from Ollerton has turned her home into a dress shop to raise money for a cause close to her heart.
Shelley Shepard began fundraising for Alzheimer's Research UK after she was diagnosed with young-onset Alzheimer's.
"I wanted to get involved in some way, but I didn't want to run a marathon or anything because that's just not me," said Shelley.
Instead of asking people to donate money directly, Shelley and her family decided to take donations of dresses which they could sell.
Shelley began collecting the dresses before the coronavirus pandemic and launched her Donate a dress for Dementia appeal again in November last year.
"We were inundated with donations at that point, it was mayhem for about a month," she said.
All of the dresses were posted onto the Donate a dress for Dementia Facebook page, with each item marked with a number so that Shelley could keep track of how many she sold.
The appeal raised around £400 in its first month and over £1000 by the end of 2021.
Shelley started off by collecting wedding dresses, but soon turned to taking in different types of occasion wear, such as prom dresses, shoes, handbags, men's suits and dresses for children.
"We realised that women just wanted to donate something," Shelley said. "It snowballed from there."
After several months of selling the garments online, the Donate a dress for Dementia team decided to take their fundraising to the next level and organised a two-day open house.
Shelley's home was turned into a dress shop— around 60 people came by to show their support and raised £500 for Alzheimer's Research UK.
She said: "We had a brilliant weekend, we've got lots of bare rails now.
"People weren't just coming and buying one dress, they were buying several at a time.
"I'm so grateful to everybody that came. They are going to make such a difference.
"I really am overwhelmed by the kindness, support and generosity from people."
To donate a dress to Shelley's fundraiser, or to purchase one, visit the Donate a dress for Dementia Facebook page.
