Shop delighted as families 'Say Yes to the Dress' for First Communions

The manager of a charity shop has said she has been overwhelmed by the response to a "Say Yes to the Dress" initiative for First Communion celebrations.

Vivienne Wood, who runs the Quirky Corner Charity Shop in Londonderry, said she wanted to give young girls the chance to experience a proper dress fitting, without the normal big expense.

At an event earlier this month children were able to choose a dress after a private fitting for £20 and receive accessories and gift bags.

She said they recreated the feeling of a department store with balloons and a table laid out with goodie bags, sweets, toys and cupcakes.

Wood said she was inundated with offers from businesses keen to donate and help make the event special for the children.

Wood decided to host the dress fittings after receiving a donation of 14 First Communion dresses from Long Tower Primary School in Derry.

She told BBC Radio Foyle's North West Today programme that she decided to open the shop on a day it was normally closed, to allow for private fittings.

"I got a message from the principal to say she had the dresses, and they were all brand new, with tags on and still in the plastic, and that's how it all started," she said.

"I just wanted to ease the financial burden on parents and give the girls an experience they wouldn't forget.

"There was an hour between each girl coming in and the majority of them said 'yes' to the first dress they saw."

First Holy Communion is one of the seven sacraments of the Catholic faith and is usually celebrated when children are between the ages of seven and eight.

Average costs can vary, but the most recent research carried out by Ulster Bank found that families on the island of Ireland spend about £729, with some spending more than £1,000 on outfits and parties.

The research in 2019 also found that girls' costs are considerably higher than boys'.

The shop raises funds for a local charity in Derry that helps people dealing with addiction.

"Being a charity shop, we hear about people's struggles with financial pressures all the time," Wood said.

Appointments for the children were granted on a first-come, first-served basis via social media.

"When I was given the dresses, this was something I felt I needed to do," she added.

"To see the wee girls' faces light up, it was just amazing, an experience I will never forget."

Claire Doherty, the principal of Long Tower Primary School, said the dresses had originally been donated to the school but, despite efforts to encourage parents to take them, they had ended up in storage.

"I felt that we could put the dresses to better use and help people in the community, so I reached out to Vivienne," Doherty said.

It was "really magical" for the children, she said, and there are some "very happy little girls" as a result.

"First Communion is a beautiful day, but over the years it has become so expensive," she said.

"The price of dresses alone puts families under a lot of pressure and I'm glad our school could help some families reduce that cost."