Vintage fairs are popular in all university cities, with Cambridge being no different - regular vintage events cater to the many students who prefer to get their fashion fixes from rails crammed with dresses, waistcoats, shirts, skirts and tops with a bit of a difference.

Cambridge University Barnardo’s Society wants its Vintage Fair to make a difference too, by asking students to bring in clothes which they have loved but fancy a change from, which they will then be able to swap for others.

The event will take place at Clare College on Saturday 4th February. From 11am to 4pm the Latimer Room will be transformed into a Vintage Fair, with tea and cakes, a raffle, old fashioned games, and music from the 1920s, 30s and 40s accompanying the clothes swap.

All proceeds from the £3 admission fee will support Barnardo’s work with children and young people in the UK, in particular fighting to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and young people of both sexes, child poverty, and disability and domestic violence.

Hannah Ponting, a member of the Society, emphasised that “one-third of children live below the poverty line in the UK. Whilst many students at Cambridge would think nothing of spending £13 on drinks for a night out, this is the amount some families living in poverty live off per person each day – for all their expenses. Children living in these conditions are also far less likely to achieve high exam results, which means that their chances of ending up at prestigious universities such as Cambridge is very low.”

She added, “The Vintage Fair is a perfect opportunity to brighten up our wardrobes without splashing out, and at the same time helping change the lives of young people who desperately need it.”

To help make the event a success, the Cambridge University Barnardo’s Society is asking for people to drop off clothes before the day, so that items are readily available for exchange. In return, tokens will be handed out to enable donators to receive the same number of items back on the day.

For details of how to get clothes to the Society, search for ‘Barnardo’s Valentine’s Vintage Fair, Cambridge’ on Facebook, or contact ljd36@cam.ac.uk.