NEW MUM ALESHA DIXON JOINS JOANNA LUMLEY TO LAUNCH THE M&S KIDS’ SHWOP BOUTIQUE

For three days only, the nation can get their hands on a host of kidswear items donated by top style icons and celebrity mums

NEW MUM Alesha Dixon today joined Joanna Lumley to open the doors to the first-ever Kids’ Shwop Boutique, from Marks & Spencer (M&S) and Oxfam.

The pop-up childrenswear shop – open now until Saturday 8th March on the lower ground floor at the M&S Marble Arch store – will showcase and sell items of clothing donated by some of the UK’s top style icons and celebrity mums.

The Kids’ Shwop Boutique will stock items donated by: Rachel Weisz, Rochelle Humes, Peaches Geldof, Abbey Clancy, Zoe Ball, Fay Ripley, Penny Lancaster, Jo Whiley, Mel C, Tess Daly and Sara Cox; as well as quality Shwopping items donated by the public.

Part of the ‘Love, Mum’ Shwopping campaign, the boutique is free for the public to enter – all they have to do is shwop – or donate – an unwanted item of clothing to gain entry.

Over 2,000 items will be on sale across the three days with all money raised going directly to Oxfam’s Mother Appeal - aiming to raise over £10 million for projects that help mothers around the world lift themselves and their families out of poverty for good. And, thanks to the UK government, every pound raised for the appeal will be doubled. *

“I’m proud to be involved in the launch of the Kids’ Shwop Boutique today, there’s so many clothes here I want to buy for my little one, and want to encourage mums and grandmas across the UK to continue to help the cause by delving into the back of their wardrobes and pulling out old and unworn items of clothing which can be Shwopped. By taking these items to M&S stores nationwide we can raise money for Oxfam's Mother Appeal and all play a part in helping mums worldwide lift themselves and their families out of poverty.”

All items will be priced between 99p and £50, including the top ten pieces donated by some of the UK’s top celebrity mums:

1. White and beige striped dress from Rochelle Humes
2. Black leather jacket from Fay Ripley
3. Yellow cardigan with pearl buttons from Peaches Geldof
4. Flowery dress from Zoe Ball
5. Multi-coloured knitted cardigan from Abbey Clancy
6. Grey cardigan with glittery hearts from Alesha Dixon
7. Silky dress with velvet polka dots from Tess Daly
8. Pleated dress from Mel C
9. Elvis babygrow from Penny Lancaster
10. Dress with balloon detail from Zoe Ball

“It is a strange but true fact that the smaller the human being, the more clothes they inevitably need. Our children grow so quickly that the clothes we bought a week ago are often too small to be worn again. Yet, we are often guilty of throwing these away or holding onto them as they hold emotional memories for us as new mums.

“Through Shwopping we can now help mums that we may never meet, but through that old babygrow that will never be worn again, we can be connected through our memories and our goodwill. No clothing, no matter how small, should end up in landfill and harm the environment. Dig deep into the back of the wardrobe, get that box from the cellar and shwop them… your small donation will have a huge impact on someone’s life.”

Since its launch in April 2012, Oxfam has received 6.9 million items of clothing thanks to Shwopping, worth £4.5 million for the charity. All money raised by Shwopping is used to support Oxfam’s projects around the world working to alleviate poverty.
 

Marks & Spencer and Oxfam’s Kids’ Shop Boutique is open 10am – 9pm on Thursday 6th March and 9am – 9pm on Friday 7th & Saturday 8th March.

For more information visit www.marksandspencer.com/shwopping.

For more information on Oxfam’s Mother Appeal visit www.oxfam.org.uk/Mother-Appeal.

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Contact: 

For further information / interviews / images:

Andrew Soar [email protected] 020 7440 9826
Jessica Becker [email protected] 020 7440 9834
Rachael Martin [email protected] 020 7440 9820

For further information on Marks & Spencer:

Daniel Himsworth [email protected] 020 8718 1618
Liz Williams [email protected] 020 8718 6369

• Shwopping is Marks & Spencer’s revolutionary clothes recycling initiative where customers can donate any item of clothing, of any brand, to be re-used, resold or recycled by charity partner Oxfam. Launched by Plan A ambassador Joanna Lumley, M&S believes Shwopping can revolutionise clothes shopping by asking consumers to adopt a ‘buy one, give one’ mentality and encourage greater sustainability on the high street.
• The campaign aims to put an end to the one billion items currently ending up in landfill every year. All M&S clothing stores now accept used and unwanted items of clothing from any brand, all year round. The ultimate aim for M&S is to collect 350 million items a year – recycling as many clothes as it sells.
• Plan A is Marks & Spencer’s eco and ethical programme that aims to make M&S the world’s most sustainable major retailer by 2015. Launched in 2007 and extended in March 2010, it takes an holistic approach to sustainability focusing on involving customers, engaging all areas of the business and tackling issues such as climate change, waste, raw materials, health and being a fair partner.
• Oxfam is a global humanitarian, development and campaigning organisation working with others to overcome poverty. Oxfam is working in nearly 60 countries on a diverse range of projects, from providing emergency water sources to supporting community health projects. Oxfam has just under 700 high street shops across the UK and Ireland and is one of the only major charity retailers to operate a textile sorting facility, Wastesaver.
• Oxfam’s Mother Appeal celebrates mums around the world and aims to help mothers worldwide lift themselves and their families out of poverty for good. The appeal, which runs until the end of March, hopes to raise over £10 million for Oxfam’s vital work and, thanks to the UK government, every pound raised will be doubled (up to a total value raised of £5 million).
• There are lots of ways to get involved and support the appeal, whether it’s donating unwanted goods to Oxfam shops; Shwopping used or unwanted clothes in Marks & Spencer stores; holding a fundraising get together with friends and colleagues; or simply donating money via Oxfam’s website. www.oxfam.org.uk/Mother-Appeal

* The UK government will match the value of everything you donate to the Mother Appeal, doubling the difference you're making. Matched funding is up to a maximum total value raised of £5 million. It covers:

• Fundraising events taking place between 31 December and 31 March 2014 and money paid in by 31 May 2014
• The value of items shwopped or donated to the appeal between 31 December 2013 and 31 March 2014 and sold before 30 April 2014 in participating Oxfam and M&S stores in England, Scotland and Wales
• Cash donations between 31 December 2013 to 31 March 2014