Our first Swish event took place on 16th March 2024 at Cottenham Village Hall. We took in over a quarter of a tonne of clothes and shoes, and rehomed over half of this in an hour and a half! The remaining 122kg of clothing went to Arthur Rank Hospice Charity Shops in Cottenham. As well as thanking our team of volunteers we are grateful to CPS PTCA for their excellent refreshments, and Cottenham Community Allotment and Green Blue You for coming with their stalls and eco wares.
If you came along we hope you had a good time and found something you liked to take home. We felt there was a lovely atmosphere and lots of good conversations were had too. This was a free event organised by Sustainable Cottenham. Donations of almost £100 were gratefully received which will go towards our running costs.
Swishes, or clothes swap parties are a fun, free way to refresh your wardrobe without buying new clothes. The fashion industry has a huge environmental footprint, accounting for more carbon emissions than aviation and shipping combined, and is often exploitative of workers too. Meanwhile, an average Briton’s wardrobe contains a whopping 57 unworn items!*
It’s those under-worn clothes you’ve fallen out of love with that we want you to dig out from your wardrobe and swap with others. Bring women’s, men’s and children’s clothes, shoes and accessories in good, clean condition**. You can bring and take as much as you like***.
*Figures from this BBC article on Fast Fashion
**No underwear, please.
***Please only take what you/your family will personally use – not to sell on. We reserve the right to challenge anyone not acting in the spirit of the event.