The group allows members to list clothing they no longer need as well as some other items. Everything is given away for free, with takers paying only £3 towards postage and packing. “After a while people started saying they didn’t want the postage and would rather it went to charity, so we set up a Just Giving page and the postage charge goes there,” says Brenda. The group has now raised almost £600 for Crohn’s & Colitis UK.
The idea was born out of the GetYourBellyOut Facebook support group that Brenda joined after being diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2012. “In 2015, I saw a post by another member, Sarah, asking if anyone else wanted some clothes that no longer fitted her. A lightbulb came on in my head and I immediately created the swap group.
“I lost 7.5 stones in the space of about four months when I got Crohn’s and went from a size 24 to a 14. It costs a fortune in clothes as there are quite a few sizes in between. At the time, I was very ill and not going out much. It’s really difficult to get the right size online so it was a nightmare.”
Since then, the group has hosted hundreds of swaps with the most amazing being a gorgeous wedding dress, Brenda adds. There are currently almost 700 members but this is down from around 1,000 before the first lockdown. “The pandemic messed things up majorly. Everybody had a clear out and a lot of charities came round with bags so people got rid of their surplus stuff that way. Our group has been slow to get going again and I just want to build it up.”
Sarah, whose initial giveaway sparked the group, now helps run it as an admin alongside Brenda, who says, “Sarah is great at sourcing clothing from her friends to post on the group and other members do this too.” The pair are careful to ensure it’s only people with Crohn’s or Colitis who benefit and they vet potential members carefully through a series of questions before allowing them to join, ensuring that it remains a safe and supportive community.
From her own experience of drastic weight loss, Brenda knows only too well how much the group can benefit those living with Crohn’s or Colitis. “I knew it would be good when I set it up and it has been amazing. Fingers crossed lots more people will want to join.”
