Move over, Cinderella – a Solihull community group is on the hunt for glass slippers, glittering venues and even a pumpkin carriage or two, as it works to give a group of teenage girls the prom night many of them thought they’d never have.
Blossom & Belong, a Solihull-based community interest company, is planning a sensory-friendly prom in October for girls who have missed out on milestone school experiences because of anxiety, autism, ADHD or school avoidance.
The group runs weekly craft, cooking and gaming sessions for girls who find everyday school life difficult. Founder Fay Joesbury set it up two years ago after her own daughter struggled socially and was unable to attend school.
She said many of the girls who come along began finding it difficult to go to school during secondary education, meaning they miss out not only on lessons but on the social milestones that come with it, prom included. Even girls who do attend school, she said, can find a traditional prom overwhelming because of sensory or social difficulties.
Now Ms Joesbury and her team want to fix that, and they are calling on Solihull’s businesses and residents to help make it happen.
On its website, the group has put out an appeal for a Solihull venue big enough for around 60 guests, silent disco equipment, and donations for goody bags such as beauty products, stationery, sweets, self-care items and small gifts. There’s also a rather glamorous request: anyone with a classic, luxury or otherwise unique car who fancies giving one of the girls a red-carpet arrival is being invited to get in touch. Decorations, photography, entertainment, flowers and sponsorship are all welcome too.
The prom itself will be designed with accessibility at its heart. Plans include a silent disco, so guests can opt in or out of the music, sensory spaces for anyone who needs a quiet break, and fidget toys on hand throughout the evening.
Blossom & Belong has also teamed up with Madrina, a Solihull-based charity that provides free prom outfits to young people facing barriers such as financial hardship, disability or mental health difficulties. Madrina, founded in 2022 after a teacher stepped in to help a pupil with no prom outfit, has since supported hundreds of young people across the West Midlands and Oxfordshire. The girls will be treated to a try-on day, complete with Madrina’s portable dressing rooms, while parents are promised a celebratory glass of something sparkling (non-alcoholic) while they watch.
Writing on the group’s fundraising page, Ms Joesbury said every young person deserved the chance to experience the occasion in a “safe, understanding and inclusive environment where they can truly be themselves,” with funds raised going towards venue hire, decorations, entertainment, food, sensory-friendly resources and keepsakes.
She admitted she had worried the idea of a prom might feel like too much for some of the girls, given their anxiety, but said their reaction had put those fears firmly to bed – the girls, she said, are “very, very excited.”
Businesses or individuals who would like to help can get in touch with Blossom & Belong via its website, where a GoFundMe link has also been set up for anyone wishing to donate towards the big night.
