Dressability

20/11/2025

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 💗

Carers Rights Day takes place on Thursday 20 November, with this year’s theme “Know your rights, use your rights.”

Every day, thousands of people across the UK take on the role of caring for someone close to them, often without realising they have become a carer. Many don’t know what help or information is available to make life a little easier.

At Dressability, we meet many of our clients’ carers who dedicate so much of themselves to others. We see their kindness, patience and commitment, but we also understand how important it is that carers feel supported and informed about what they are entitled to.

Caring brings joy and meaning, but it can also be demanding. Knowing your rights, asking for support and taking time for yourself are not luxuries, they are essential.
If you care for someone, or know someone who does, take a moment today to learn more and share what you find. Together we can help more carers feel seen, supported and valued.

There is plenty of help, advice and guidance on www.carersuk.org that may be worth taking a look at.

Remember, you are appreciated, valued and never alone. 💗

18/11/2025

🎄 Getting ready for Christmas

Our wonderful volunteers have been busy in the sewing room, creating festive stockings and handmade gifts for the Charity Christmas Market at Christ Church in Old Town.

Every item sold helps raise funds to support our work with people who have disabilities and long term health conditions.

Come and see us this Saturday 22 November, 11am to 2.30pm at Christ Church, Old Town, SN1 3HG.

It is free to enter and full of Christmas cheer.

15/11/2025

𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 — comfort, confidence, personality or practicality. For many of us, it’s easy to take that for granted.

But imagine how much more important clothing becomes when dressing isn’t simple, when comfort, dignity and independence rely on how a garment has been adapted.

At Dressability, we help people with disabilities or limited dexterity feel good in what they wear, with clothing that’s made to fit both their needs and their personality. 💗

If you or someone you know could benefit from our clothing adaptation service, or would just like some more information, we’d love to help.
📞 01793 512878
📧 mail@dressability.org.uk

13/11/2025

🧵 You don’t need to have a disability to use Dressability’s services

Alongside our core work adapting clothing for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions, we also offer private alterations to local people.

This service sits alongside our main charitable work and includes things like shortening trousers, adjusting dresses, repairing zips and reshaping coats, all carried out by our skilled sewing team.

While most of what we do focuses on adapted clothing, we’re always happy to take on private alteration requests where capacity allows. Every job helps support our charity and ensures we can continue making clothing accessible for those who need it most.

If you’d like to use our alteration service, or you’re not sure what’s possible, we’d love to hear from you.

📍 Based in West Swindon
📞 01793 512878
📧 mail@dressability.org.uk

🌐 www.dressability.org.uk

A friendly and welcoming charity which supports the clothing needs of individuals with disabilities and those with limited dexterity.

10/11/2025

🧵 𝐀 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲!

Last week we had the pleasure of welcoming Rob, Swindon’s new Town Crier.

Rob’s outfit had been altered elsewhere and unfortunately needed some urgent attention before an important event. Our talented dressmaker Jackie stepped in straight away, carefully restoring it to its best.

Pictured here with Rob, Jackie made sure the outfit looked perfect in time for his event. By the end of the afternoon, Rob left looking every bit the part and delighted with the result. 👏

Moments like these remind us how proud we are to support our local community with skill, care and a personal touch. 💗

If you require an alteration, you do not need to have a disability to use Dressability’s services. We also take on private alterations, which help raise funds to support our core work adapting clothing for people with disabilities and long-term health conditions.

You can get in touch with us by calling us on 01793 512878 or emailing via mail@dressability.org.uk

09/11/2025

𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

This weekend, several members of the Dressability community are taking part in Remembrance events across the country.

Our trustee and vice chair, Nicky, will be attending the RBL's march past the Cenotaph with the RAF Widows Association, wearing her late husband Mick’s military coat. Mick, a former client of Dressability, wore this coat every Remembrance Sunday. Our dressmaker, Elsa, carefully re-tailored it so Nicky could wear it in his memory.

Pete, a long-standing client, is attending the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall and marching with Blind Veterans UK. Clare, another client, will also be at the Cenotaph wearing her newly altered blazer complete with her WRAF badge.

Remembrance Day is such an important time to pause, reflect and give thanks to those who served, and to those who continue to carry their memory forward.

Lest we forget.

07/11/2025

💗 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐬’ 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓

This week we’re saying a big thank you to our wonderful trustees who quietly keep everything at Dressability running behind the scenes.

They give their time, energy and expertise completely voluntarily, helping to guide the charity, support our team and make sure we can keep doing what we do best, adapting clothing to make life a little easier for others.

Their support, insight and encouragement make all the difference, and we couldn’t do it without them. 💗

If you or someone you know might be interested in becoming a trustee, please get in touch via email to our Trustee Chair, Jean Crawford, at ijcrawford@btinternet.com

04/11/2025

𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐞 🧵

We recently welcomed a very special visitor into our workshop - Freddie the signing puppet!

Freddie isn’t just a toy - he’s a specialist, high-quality communication aid that helps Rachel, who has cerebral palsy and global learning delay, to sign, express her feelings and connect with others.

He’s been part of Rachel’s life for many years and has brought endless smiles, laughter and confidence to her world. After lots of love, his jacket had worn thin and his eyes had faded, so his mum Michelle brought him to Dressability for some care and repair.

Although this isn’t something we would usually do, Rachel has been a valued client of ours for over ten years - and we wanted to help. Freddie is now ready for many more happy moments ahead!

Read Freddie’s full story on our website 👇
🔗 https://www.dressability.org.uk/2025/10/30/the-story-of-freddie-a-puppet-worth-repairing/

02/11/2025

🧵 𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 – 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭-𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 / 𝐓𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧

Are you an experienced dressmaker or tailor looking for a meaningful role where your skills make a real difference?

Dressability is seeking a part-time dressmaker, tailor to join our friendly team in West Swindon. You’ll be helping us deliver bespoke clothing alterations and adaptations for people with disabilities or long-term health conditions, supporting them to feel confident and comfortable every day.

We’re ideally looking for someone who can also train and support our two sewing trainees, helping them grow their skills and confidence as part of our small, supportive team.

If you love sewing, enjoy working with people, and want your work to have real impact, we’d love to hear from you.

You can view details of the job role here:
👉 https://uk.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=35da8d0550005659

More information on Dressability and the services we offer can be found at:
👉 https://www.dressability.org.uk/

For any questions on the role or to apply, please contact Sharon Tombs at sharontombs@dressability.org.uk

31/10/2025

🎃 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲! 🎃

At Dressability, we love creativity - especially when it comes to expressing yourself through clothing. This Halloween, we’re celebrating all the imaginative costumes and handmade outfits that bring a bit of magic to the season.

As an adaptive clothing charity, we know how powerful it can be when fashion and creativity come together to help everyone feel included.

This year, we were especially inspired by former trustee and BBC sports presenter Andy Stevenson, who created his son’s Halloween outfit by drawing it entirely with his foot. Despite having a disability, Andy shows that determination and creativity can make anything possible.

From all of us at Dressability - have a fun, spooky and inspiring Halloween! 👻🕷️

28/10/2025

𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝.

If you have a background in HR and would like to use your expertise to make a real difference, we’d love to hear from you.

As part of our Board of Trustees, you’ll help shape the direction of our charity and ensure we continue providing our much-valued clothing adaptation service for people with disabilities and limited dexterity.

🧵 HR experience required
🧵 Approx. 2 hours per month
🧵 Board meetings once a month in West Swindon
🧵 Voluntary role – but deeply rewarding

If you or someone you know might be interested, please get in touch via email to our Trustee Chair, Jean Crawford - ijcrawford@btinternet.com

24/10/2025

🌟 A big shout-out to our friend Anna Bird and the inspiring team at Mums on a Mission - Swindon! 🌟

We were delighted to see Anna and her group enjoying the fantastic new inclusive playpark facilities recently opened. Their ongoing efforts to campaign for better accessibility and improved facilities across Swindon are truly making a difference.

Mums on a Mission are a dedicated group of five local mums who have been working tirelessly to make community spaces more welcoming for everyone – ensuring children and families with additional needs can enjoy play and leisure without barriers.

We’re so proud to know and support people like Anna and her team, who share our belief that accessibility and inclusion benefit the whole community. 🧡