It’s party time! Treat yourself to a classy charity shop outfit that looks good and does good

10th December 2024

Pop-up partywear

“What am I going to wear?” It’s a cry that rings out across the land every year when the festive party season is on the horizon. The countdown is on to find something elegant and fashionable, that suits you and your budget.

Before you start scrolling online, did you know that a trip to your local St Luke’s charity shop could be the answer to all your ballgown and frock dilemmas, not forgetting fancy shoes, evening bags and a touch of bling to complete the look?

Partywear – along with Christmas jumpers – is a major focus for our shop managers and volunteers at this time of year. Their mission is to have you looking a million dollars for your special do, without breaking the bank.

To showcase some of the impressive choices available and the kind of amazing bargains that are waiting to be snapped up, our retail team set up a pop-up shop in the café at St Luke’s Turnchapel HQ ahead of our own Christmas party get-together. Collecting and displaying a selection of gowns, suits and accessories in all shapes and sizes, staff, volunteers and visitors were invited to have a browse.

Some of our staff have already had a lot of fun getting together to try things on and helping each other choose outfits that make them feel festive and ready to party.

As you can see from our fabulous photos, there are some absolute gems up for grabs – with dresses ranging from around £8 to £25 – and there’s plenty more waiting to be found on the rails in our shops.

The bonus of buying your party outfit from St Luke’s is that you’re not only solving your Christmas “what to wear” puzzle, you’ll be saving money, as well as actively supporting the compassionate end of life care St Luke’s delivers to the homes of patients and their families when they need us most, all through the year.

If you donate your outfit back to be recycled again after you’ve worn it, then it’s a double win for both St Luke’s work and the environment.

“It’s a win-win situation because you are benefiting the charity and recycling too.”

Kim Dover, our New Partnerships Advisor, has already worn the ballgown she spotted on the pop-up shop rail last week. In fact she ditched the dress she’d paid £70 for in favour of wearing the classy pre-loved navy number. She teamed it with a pink bag and pink shoes that she bought at a St Luke’s shop about three years ago.

Kim was specifically looking for a blue dress to fit in with the branding of local company TEC Construction at the fantastic fundraising ball the building firm hosted in aid of St Luke’s recently.

She said: “I’d already bought a dress for the occasion and then I saw this one at the pop-up shop and fell in love with it. It was £20 and brand new – it still had the tags on it.”

Charity shop buys are ideal for Kim who does a lot of networking as part of her fundraising role at St Luke’s.

“I don’t want to be wearing the same dress to events over and over again. I love the whole concept of buying from a St Luke’s charity shop and then donating the dress back when I know I’m not likely to be wearing it again.

“It’s a win-win situation because you are benefiting the charity and recycling too. I love a bargain and I love to give back to the hospice because they looked after my brother 12 years ago. It’s important to me.”

“Pre-loved dresses are great because someone else gets a chance to love them.”

Jane Lewis, St Luke’s Occupational Therapist, is a regular charity shop browser. She picked out a long navy blue dress with sparkly sequinned bodice from JS Collections priced £20 and coordinating navy high heel slingbacks.

She said: “It’s brilliant having the pop-up in the café. We’re all very busy and haven’t always got time to look around all the different shops. Pre-loved dresses are great because someone else gets a chance to love them. Then after the event you can donate them back to the charity shop to be resold. Everybody wins!”

“I’ll definitely consider a charity shop buy for more events.”

Sophie Yalden, specialist unit staff nurse, surprised herself by choosing a long pink satin off the shoulder ball gown.

She said: “I was pleasantly surprised with the selection. I wouldn’t normally choose something pink, but I tried on a few – longer, shorter, lacy and black – and this one was a bit different. I thought there would be signs of wear and tear, but I honestly couldn’t find any.  It’s in really great condition with no marks on it and it’s a bargain at £20.

“I’ll definitely consider a charity shop buy for more events. Usually I’ll buy a new dress for an occasion, wear it once and then it will sit in the wardrobe. If I donate it and someone else will get some love out of it.”

“It’s much better for the environment, as well as being economical”

Hilary Hasson, Head of Inpatient Nursing Services, tried on three or four dresses and loved them all.

She said: “You can spend so much on a dress you only wear once, so it’s good to find such good quality, and at really good prices. Some of the dresses are brand new with the tags still on them. It’s much better for the environment, as well as being economical.

“We’re so used to online shopping these days. It was great to see the whole team having a lot of fun together checking out the dress rail and helping each other pick out something.”

Wear, donate and pass on

Verity Boyd, Urgent Care health care assistant, picked a classy long black sleeveless dress plus a complementary necklace and evening bag, all for around £30.

She said: I really enjoyed browsing and there was more variety than I thought there would be, especially for someone tall like me. And there were shoes in my size too.

“A lot of us only tend to wear a dress like this once. By donating to St Luke’s charity shops someone else gets the chance to enjoy wearing it – then they can pass it on again.”

Find your nearest St Luke’s charity shop

Related articles

, ,

BLOG: Lighting the way: businesses back city’s summer art trail and auction in aid of local hospice care

Plymouth’s business community is charting a course for hope, coming together to support St Luke’s Hospice Plymouth’s Guiding Lights, a major public art trail and auction set to illuminate the city this summer. Recently, representatives from local businesses and other organisations gathered at the National Marine Aquarium to select their favourite lighthouse designs from over 90 submitted by talented artists from Plymouth and further afield. Together, they cast their votes for the designs they most want to see the artists bring to life as full-scale sculptures. Their choices will help shape a trail of striking lighthouses that will shine across Plymouth and beyond this summer, attracting visitors, boosting the local economy, and symbolising the comfort, guidance and compassion for which St Luke’s is renowned.
, ,

Cultivating care: The volunteers who keep our hospice gardens blooming

If you ever visit our specialist unit at Turnchapel one of the first things you will notice are the carefully cultivated gardens surrounding the hospice building. Every Wednesday a group of 6 volunteers have been giving up their time to dedicate some care and love to our gardens, keeping them pruned, de-weeded and full of life. Their hard work creates a peaceful, welcoming space for patients, families and staff to enjoy - a place where nature offers comfort and calm during difficult times.
, ,

BLOG: Why paramedic Jess swapped emergency sirens for hospice calm

Life as a paramedic was fast-paced, stressful and involved critical decisions every single day for Jess Timbrell. After several years of training and hands-on service on the road, she was both confident and qualified to respond in emergencies and make split-second choices to save people’s lives. But something was missing. “I always had an interest in palliative care,” said Jess. “As a paramedic, you go out to a lot of people who are at the end of life, but you can’t spend the time you want with them because emergency demand is so high. “It was so disheartening sitting with someone in an ambulance queue outside the hospital for hours, knowing they didn’t have long to live. And then when I did drop them off, I would never find out what happened to them.”
, ,

BLOG: Ben and Sean’s two-wheeled adventure for hospice care

Sean Holland and Ben Connex are taking on an epic adventure: riding from Land’s End to John O’Groats and back - a staggering 3,200 miles - on learner-legal 125cc motorcycles! This challenge is in memory of Sean’s brother, Colin, an avid motorcyclist, who was cared for by St Luke’s. Sean and Ben met back in 1998 on the Southwest clubbing scene and have since become firm friends and fellow riders. “We have always shared a love for two wheels and when the clubbing stopped, we became born again cyclists,” said Sean, Creative Director at NexPay, our card payment provider for all our shops.
, ,

BLOG: Santa, songs and smiles: Making Christmas memories at St Luke’s

St Luke’s was overflowing with Christmas spirit last Friday as staff went above and beyond to create a warm and joyful evening for current patients and their loved ones, as well as families who will be missing someone special for the first time this year. Team members from across our organisation came together, giving up their own time to create a magical occasion featuring sparkling decorations, festive refreshments, Christmas music and live seasonal songs from the Burraton Boys and a raffle with super prizes.
, ,

BLOG: Lighting up the season: TEC Construction brings Christmas cheer to Turnchapel

Our specialist unit at Turnchapel was filled with festive cheer last week as the kind-hearted TEC Construction helped us to light up our beautiful Christmas tree - standing tall enough for our patients to enjoy its sparkle from their windows. Thanks to TEC Construction and their local subcontractors at LTC Access Platform and ACD Electrical - the night’s sky was lit up with hundreds of multi-coloured lights and a shining star sitting atop of the impressive tree - watched on by our nurses, patients, family members and members of our community including children from Hooe Primary Academy who graced everyone with a selection of beautifully sung Christmas carols.
, ,

BLOG: Community spirit shines bright as Plympton street supports St Luke’s

Residents of Redvers Grove in Plympton, Plymouth have come together to light up their street in a dazzling display of festive cheer - all to raise vital funds for St Luke’s. Each of the neighbours on the street have adorned their houses and gardens with illuminating white Christmas lights, a tradition which started 24 years ago and has since grown as more and more people have moved to the street.
, ,

BLOG: Running for care: Darite’s festive dash

Darite Primary Academy near Liskeard brought the festive cheer to the moors with their amazing Rudolph Run! From Reception to Year 6, every child loved decorating their antlers, getting active in the fresh air, and raising money for a cause close to their hearts. Supporting St Luke’s means so much to this small but mighty school community, where families know first-hand the compassionate care we provide for loved ones at the end of life.
, ,

BLOG: Decking the Halls at Turnchapel

A sprinkling of Christmas cheer has brightened up our specialist unit this week. A group of kind-hearted volunteers from Land Registry, Plymouth volunteered their time to decorate the Christmas trees that have generously been donated to St Luke’s by Blue Diamond Endsleigh Garden Centre Ivybridge. The team spent the day adding touches of tinsel and baubles to the entrance, reception and on the wards, bringing some festive joy to not only the people staying with us, but their families, visitors and all our staff and volunteers.
PreviousNext

Our Care

Support us

Courses

Information

BLOG: CEO George leads us into the futureBLOG: Men’s Day Out is back for 2025 – with a twist!