Free costume lending service set up in Norfolk to help cash-strapped families dress up
Costumes can be borrowed for free
As families prepare for Halloween tomorrow, a free costume lending service set up in Norfolk by a community group is helping cash-strapped families in the area.
Tracey Cooper set up Dussindale Community Fancy Dress Box after reading an article about the cost of costumes for World Book Day.
She tells us why she’s decided to support parents struggling with finances: "I feel really sorry for parents of younger children, because it's lovely for children to dress up, it's great for their imaginations and it's good fun, but financially it must be really difficult...
"You have World Book Day, Comic Relief, Children in Need, Halloween and children's birthday parties which are often themed - and every time one of these occasions comes about, parents have to try and find the money for a costume.
"I've looked how much a costume costs and they're so expensive... A costume for a four year old at a supermarket this week was ÂŁ25 - that's just too much money for something that's going to be worn once, maybe twice."
People wanting to use the scheme can borrow an outfit by putting down a ÂŁ5 deposit, which is returned when the costume comes back.
Tracey tells us it's also environmentally friendly: "People don't want to just keep adding and adding to the stuff already on the planet. We've got so much stuff already, I think people are aware of becoming more environmentally sensible."
They've already received 170 donated costumes.
Finally, we asked Tracey what's proving popular for Halloween this year? "All the ones that've gone out have been scary, traditional Halloween costumes.
"In terms of outfits we have the most of that'd have to be Frozen - it was obviously a phenomenon so we have quite a few!"