Honiton’s Community Swap Shop is holding its biggest ever event to celebrate a successful first year in operation.

The swap shop is now ‘fundamental to clothing the community’, according to Citizens Advice East Devon.

The big anniversary swap will take place on Saturday, March 11 at Honiton Community College from 11am until 3pm. On offer, free of charge, will be clothes for all ages including school uniforms and dressing-up costumes, toys and games, homemade cakes, and other food items from Honiton Foodsave. Citizens Advice will also be on hand.

Clothing donations can be dropped off from 10am.

One of the organisers, Lauren Passmore-Smart, said: “We’re open to everyone, not just Honiton residents, and we want it to be as inclusive as possible. Donations are of course welcome, but people are equally free to come along and take whatever they need without something to swap, no questions asked.

“I’m thrilled this idea has taken off and is still going one year on. I’m so grateful to our wonderful volunteers and everyone who has attended or donated.”

Sheran Taylor from Citizens Advice East Devon said: “The Swap Shop is now fundamental to clothing our community. Many of my clients visiting Citizens Advice ask when the next one is on, and there is a real excitement of knowing there is somewhere to go where they can choose something new to wear.

“I’ve seen children heading off with warm coats, mums leaving with boots that don’t have holes in, and everyone helping each other find the right sizes. There is always lots of joy and laughter and we have quite the fashion show in the corner!

“People attend for lots of reasons, but I know that there would be much more misery in our little town if it stopped.”

The first Swap Shop in March 2022 was held to prevent unwanted clothes going to landfill and provide clothing to local people whose finances were tight. It also raised £250 for the Red Cross Ukraine Appeal. With clothes left over from the swap, Lauren – buoyed up by the positive feedback - decided to make it a regular event, and it became bigger and bigger. 

Swap Shop regular Victoria Honeyman said: “I have seen the Swap Shop grow from an idea to help the community into one of the most successful and popular community focused projects in Honiton.

“The other services that also attend, such as the Foodsave and Citizens Advice, are crucial lifelines for people who are struggling.”

Donations at the March 11 event will be collected for the Honiton Community College Hardship Fund.