When Helen Farley was a girl, she can remember Braidwood used to have regular fashion show fundraisers.
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In the hall above the old council buildings, Millie Whitfield would run wedding fashion parades. The events were just so much fun, Ms Farley thought they would be worth reviving.
So when Julia of Born Vintage on Elrington Street came into the bank where Ms Farley works, she had a brilliant idea to raise money for the restoration of the Anglican Hall.
“I asked Julia ‘Can you do a fashion parade for me’, and she said, ‘sure, just tell me when and where’,” Ms Farley said.
Organising what became ‘Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Fashion and High Tea’ with Gill Burke and Lyn Cram, Ms Farley had initially hoped for a crowd of 20 to 30 people.
She was staggered when the numbers just kept on growing, until on the day 160 people attended.
Guests enjoyed cakes and nibbles donated by community members and local businesses, while watching the catwalk featuring models dressed in vintage and modern styles from a range of Braidwood stores.
The event raised over $4,000 for the work of the committee. The funds will help with running costs while it applies for grants.
The Anglican Hall’s management was placed in a trust in 2016, to be restored for ongoing use by the community.
The committee’s first steps have been to raise money to build a toilet block