Cabinet Office Third Sector

The Prime Minister and Sarah Brown's conference outfits to be redesigned by young volunteers

25 September 2008
CAB/098/08

The Prime Minister and his wife Sarah Brown today showed their support to a new innovative volunteering campaign, by donating their conference outfits to be customised by young volunteers.

vFavours, launched today, will give young volunteers the chance to work with top fashion designer Ben de Lisi to redesign unwanted clothes for a fashion show aimed at raising awareness of waste and the throwaway culture. The new pieces created by volunteers will then be auctioned in aid of HIV charity Body & Soul.

The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, who is donating the shirt and tie he wore to make his speech at the Labour Party Conference, said:

“I'm glad I can donate the shirt and tie I wore to make my speech to Labour Party conference to Fashion Favours. These young British designers who will give their skills and talents and time for free are exactly the kind of people I was referring to when I said that this is a country lifted up every day by the people who love it. This is a great example of the talent and ingenuity of Britain's creative industries. Fashion Favours dedicates those efforts for the benefit of others. That's why I'm proud to contribute to this project.”

His wife Sarah will also be donating clothing made famous when she surprised the audience by introducing her husband at the Labour Party Conference. Sarah said:

“When I was asked by Ed Miliband to give something to the Fashion Favours project I knew it had to be the dress I wore to introduce Gordon at Labour Party conference. I'm pleased to offer it to talented young British designers who will give their time skills and imagination for free. The great new fashions that result from the project will showcase young people's determination to make a difference through volunteering.”

Phil Hope, Minister for the Third Sector, said:

“Young people have much to contribute to society and at the same time can gain so much themselves if they have fun and worthwhile volunteering opportunities. The Government wants to give a million more young people the chance to volunteer over the next three years and we're investing £117million in the charity ‘v’ to make it happen. Fashion Favours shows that volunteering can be an exciting and dynamic way to do someone a favour.”

Fashion Favours is the part of the new vFavours campaign run by the independent youth volunteering charity v. The Government is investing £117million in v over the years 08/11 to help provide high quality volunteering opportunities for people aged between 16-25. Fashion Favours is launched today at Debenham's in London's west end.

Notes to editors

1. Fashion Favours is a campaign of the independent youth volunteering charity ‘v’. For further information please see: http://www.vinspired.com/download/FashionFavoursPress250908.pdf [External website].
2. The Government wants to enable more people of all ages to benefit themselves and others through volunteering. This work is led by the Minister for the Third Sector who is based in the Cabinet Office. For further information please see: www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector.

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