Amanda Cartwright a caseworker at Mears Shropshire Home Services in Shrewsbury – home of the Shropshire Handyperson Service – was inspired when she saw an article in Severn Magazine about members of Space to Sew making pillowcase dresses to be sent to Africa. The Dress a Girl Around the World project seemed such a simple and effective idea that Amanda wondered if it could tie-in with Mears ongoing work in Africa.
Through Project South Africa, the Mears Foundation support the Sithabile Youth and Child Care Centre in Benoni, nr Johannesburg . A visit was being planned so Amanda enquired as to whether some of the pillowcase dresses could be taken by the team.
Annette Evans, also from Mears spoke to her friend, Sue George, who began to sew.
A week or so later Sue presented Annette with 15 beautifully embellished pillowcase dresses. The dresses were handed to Hayley Grey a Project South Africa participant, eight were given out during the visit to Benoni and the remaining seven were given by Bob Holt, Chairman of Mears Group to girls in other local orphanages.
Hayley said “the girls were absolutely thrilled when they saw the dresses . . . their beaming little faces and big smiles were an absolute picture! No sooner were they handed out that they were put on! Needless to say it was like I was surrounded by a bunch of models strutting their stuff in their fabulous new dresses”
“The children and Nandi (the lady in charge of the Orphanage) wanted me to pass on their thanks and appreciation for the dresses and I would like to pass on my thanks for being able to take part in delivering them. It was my absolute pleasure to see the delight on the girls faces at receiving the dresses”
It doesn’t end there though . . .Sue is making more dresses to send to Africa, so far she has just over seventy and is aiming for 100. Dawn Dormer, Senior Caseworker at Mears Shropshire Home Services who is also a Senior Section Guider said “the Dress a girl Around the World project is a great idea, I will be working with my Admaston Rangers group to produce more dresses and send them out to Africa in 2013.”
Picture 1: Sheila Jones and Amy Hunter administrators at Mears with some of the dresses]
Picture 2 The girls were delighted with their dresses]
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