Members of Potterne Springs WI are inviting people to join them to make simple dresses for girls in Africa They are holding a sewing evening, on December 9, as an antidote to the materialism and stress of Christmas for the charity, Dress a Girl Around the World. The charity aims to provide dresses for girls living in poverty who otherwise wouldn’t own one. They believe that every girl deserves the dignity of owning at least one dress.

The dresses, which are often made out of pillowcases, can change a young girl’s destiny. The charity has been told by village pastors that a girl wearing a new dress presents an appearance that she is well cared for and may discourage would be predators. Dresses have been distributed to many different projects in Malawi, Kenya, Goa, Ghana, Uganda, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Cameroon, Haiti, India, Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi and The Phillipines.

Karen Shadwell, of Potterne Springs WI and a mum of two boys, said: “We are inviting everyone to come along, the more the merrier and the dresses we make will show children who have very little that they are not forgotten, especially at this time of year. It’s a really simple pattern to follow even if you’re a novice sewer.

“We are asking for people that have sewing machines to bring them along if they are able, along with any donations of fabric that can be used for the dresses.”

Contact Sue Groffman on 07837 110874 or just turn up on Monday December 9 at the Wiltshire Scout Centre, Potterne Wick, from 8pm to 10pm.