Project School Formal opens pop-up store in Grand Central Shopping Centre Toowoomba

Helping to take the cost and stress out of high school graduations and formals, the project has opened this year’s pop-up store. Details inside

DRESSED TO IMPRESS: (From left) Caiden Bridger, Claire Torkington, Leisa Carney, Leanne Jennings, Kim Stokes, Hannah Clutterbuck, Gay Hold and Charlie Jennings. The Pop-Up Formal store at Grand Central. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Ask any parent that’s had a child graduate and attend a Year 12 formal and they will tell you that looking the part doesn’t come cheap.

Since 2015 Project School Formal has helped support hundreds of school leavers facing hardship to celebrate the special occasion looking stylish and chic.

This year’s pop-up shop has opened in Grand Central Shopping Centre for the eight-week formal season, taking bookings until October 22.

Manager Kim Stokes said the project was started by hair salon owners Gay Hold and Paula Lucas after hearing stories of families who couldn’t afford to purchase new outfits for sons and daughters to attend high school graduation.

“Often students, living independently away from home would also share that while it was a celebration to be finishing Year 12, they couldn’t possibly see a way for them to celebrate this milestone with their classmates. It was just too expensive,” Ms Stokes said.

(From left) Kim Stokes, Hannah Clutterbuck, Gay Hold and Charlie Jennings at Project School Formal’s pop-up store at Grand Central. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Ms Stokes said Ms Hold and Ms Lucas started Project School Formal by asking friends and family and eventually the local community for donations of quality garments so that no Year 12 student would ever have to miss out on such a special occasion because they did not have something to wear.

“Several years on the project is managed and run by a group of committed volunteers and has gone from strength to strength supplying items, still free of charge, to schools and communities far and wide,” Ms Stokes said.

To qualify for assistance with Project School Formal students must be in Year 11 or 12, graduating in 2021 or 2022 and facing financial hardship.

“All items in our store such as gowns, suits and accessories, new or old, are donated,” Ms Stokes said.

“We will happily gift one entire ‘look’ for the graduation experience, totally free of charge. Afterwards, students may keep their outfit, give it to another person or even gift it back to the project to support another student.”

The store, located on level two of Grand Central Shopping Centre opposite Good Life Health Club. Visit the Project School Formal Facebook page to make an appointment.

Donations of suitable formal wear can be made to Jazzy Lane Hair Studio, 8 Duggan Street Toowoomba.