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Tracy Brabin’s ‘Shouldergate’ dress raises £20,200 for Girlguiding
Melanie May | 13 February 2020 | News
Tracy Brabin’s off-the-shoulder dress has sold for £20,200 on eBay, with the money raised going to Girlguiding.
Labour MP Tracy Brabin appeared in the dress at the House of Commons last week when she was unexpectedly called into the dispatch box, having earlier attended a music event. Her choice of outfit attracted strong criticism from some quarters, particularly on social media, leading Brabin to comment that such remarks were sexist, and that people needed to listen to what was said, not worn.
Following ‘Shouldergate’, the same £35 dress quickly sold out on ASOS, and Brabin put hers on eBay to raise funds for Girlguiding, to help it help more girls grow into leaders. Kicking off with a starting bid of £10, by the time bidding ended a week later on Thursday night (13 February), it had received 180 bids, reaching £20,200.
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One week and 180 bids later, you've raised an incredible £20,200! 💙
— Girlguiding (@Girlguiding) February 13, 2020
We're so grateful to all the @eBay_UK bidders and of course to @TracyBrabin.
Thank you for donating your dress to @Girlguiding to help us build the confidence of girls today to be the leaders of tomorrow. 🙌
Just so grateful to everyone who placed a bid and rest assured there will be young girls who’s lives will be changed because of this money.
— Tracy Brabin 🌹 (@TracyBrabin) February 13, 2020
THANK YOU 😊 https://t.co/glHd6H7lCf
- eBay UK announces £1.7 million funding and training support package to boost charity online retail (26 June 2020)
- Stars raise £7,000 for Oxfam’s coronavirus response in eBay auction (30 July 2020)
- Over a third of UK adults prefer pre-owned products over new if they support a good cause (18 October 2021)
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.