It is hard to be too nostalgic about school proms because they have not been around long enough to be nostalgic about.

There were school dances and discos in the past but the prom is definitely an American invention which, much like Halloween and Black Friday sales, we have adopted.

The prom arrived here in the 2000s and probably become as bit as their USA counterparts.

It is not a bad ting. It marks the passage, for most, of the step from school into the world - new beginnings and the start of adult life.

The prom comes with its own pressures, of course. For the young people there is the pressure of finding a date, looking good and being part of the crowd.

For parents there is the ongoing desire to do the best for your child while bearing the cost of an event many can ill afford.

That is where schemes like the prom dress scheme are a lifesaver. PROMise it 4ward is the Facebook site for a group of volunteers who accept donations of prom dresses, suits, shoes and anything else needed, and pass them on to people who might otherwise not be able to attend their school prom.

It is a fantastic idea, especially since every effort is made to ensure that the dresses, especially, are given to students from other schools and not the one from where the donation came.

In fact PROMise it 4ward will solve more than just your prom .

This county council scheme, run by local volunteers, helps anyone in need of clothes for a formal occasion.

There are clothes for weddings, including wedding dresses. There are clothes for job interviews, get-togethers and even funerals. The selection includes shoes, ties, suits, dresses and anything else imaginable.

The only thing the organisation asks, is that the clothing be returned if possible, so it can be used by someone else.

PROMise it 4ward operates out of the Moorclose centre in Workington.

For more information call: 07713864850