Princess Anne to visit Swindon charity in February

Princess Anne will greet staff, volunteers, and service users at Dressability’s West Swindon home on Monday, February 5.

The Princess Royal will learn more about the clothing alteration work that has been carried out there for the last 25 years and unveil a plaque to mark the occasion.

Manager Sharon Tombs said: “It’s going to be an amazing event for us, everyone is really pleased about the visit.

“I know the Princess Royal is interested in sustainability, which is a big part of what we do, and we have some projects to show her.

“We’re having a clear-up in the office and just want to try to demonstrate what we can deliver to people.”

The team at Dressability (Image: Dressability)

This will be the second royal visit of the year for Swindon, following Her Majesty the Queen's trip to Wood Street for a tour of Deacon & Sons on the Old Town mainstay's 175th anniversary.

The charity received the opportunity to apply for a royal visit while bidding for funding from the princess’ charities.

Last year, it cost £151,500 to keep the charity going and all of that funding had to be raised through grants and applications to trusts.

The team of seven staff and more than 20 volunteers saw 52 per cent more clients and carried out 32 per cent more alterations than the year before - the paid staff adapted 850 items of clothing.

Demand is expected to continue increasing and, after appearing in a national magazine, the team set up a postal service to deal with enquiries from all over the country.

Sharon added: “We are one of only two charities of this kind in the UK, so Swindon is lucky to have that sort of service on its doorstep.

“A lot of people need clothing adaptations, for long-term or temporary problems “For example, my grandson broke his leg and could not put trousers on so they had to be altered, and people who have had a stroke often like to keep using their own clothes which we can adapt rather than buy new specialist clothing.

“It costs a lot to keep going, which can be a struggle, so we are always on the lookout for financial support and donations of fabric and haberdashery.”