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Dewsbury: Youngsters organise fundraising fashion show
A teenage childcare apprentice and other young people from Dewsbury are holding a fashion show on Thursday to raise money for disabled people and those with heart conditions.
Chantelle Kitchen, 17, who is studying for Level 2 Apprenticeship in Childcare at the Rathbone centre, decided to organise the event in aid of the Hollybank Trust and the British Heart Foundation.
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All the clothes being modelled at the "Beauty and the Best" show, which will take place at Eastborough Working Men's Club, have been designed by Rathbone learners and are made from recycled materials.
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The event will feature a performance by local indie rockers The Sighting, who have agreed to play for free.
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It is the latest fundraiser organised by young apprentices from Rathbone, who have held various events such as sponsored silences and fancy dress collections to raise money for charity in the past few months.
The youngsters said that they have organised the fundraising activities in a bid to improve the image of their home town.
Chantelle, who is currently on placement at the Children's Place day
nursery in Ravensthorpe, said: "Bad things have happened in Dewsbury but they've also gone on in other places, too.
"There's plenty to do here and you always feel safe when you go out. I think people in places like Huddersfield and Mirfield understand we are a nice town but we need to give ourselves a bit of push, elsewhere.
"The only way to improve our image is through our actions and that's why we've raised money for campaigns like Comic Relief and Children in Need."
Karen Horsfall-Smith, Rathbone Centre manager for Dewsbury, added: "Dewsbury has undoubtedly been tarnished by the fallout from the Shannon Matthews case, but the harsh words said and written about our town recently bear no resemblance to real life here.
"By their deeds, these young people are showing that unity and community matter and I think the fact that they are childcarers is particularly poignant.
"This displays that Dewsbury does care for its next generation and wants only the best for them.
"Rathbone is a charity that gives young people a second or even last chance to forge a career for themselves.
"I think many of our trainees are grateful for that opportunity and have recognised that helping others helps us all.
"My hope is that these young people put us back on the map and begin to make Dewsbury the home of charity."
The Sighting guitarist Dave Martin hopes to help the Rathbone apprentices in their quest to boost the town's reputation.
He said: "Unfortunately, society has focused on half a dozen people they've seen on the news and yet Dewsbury is the perfect mixture of town and country, has plenty of heritage and history and has some of the friendliest people in the world.
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Friday 25 May 2012
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