Parents turn to costume swap to cut Halloween costs
One mother said Halloween outfits are "completely extortionate" as families pick up free alternatives.
Parents are turning to a costume swap to help cut Halloween costs
Lola Roberts said donating unwanted Halloween costumes would help other families save money
Parents in Merseyside are using a free Halloween costume swap scheme to avoid prices one mother described as "completely extortionate".
Lola Roberts, who went to Prescot Library with her children, said her son had picked out a clown costume priced at £40, so she showed him free alternatives.
Knowsley Council is running the scheme over half-term to help families save money and cut the number of costumes discarded after Halloween.
Organisers said the scheme had been popular, with children trying on costumes and joining in craft activities.
Lola Roberts said donating unwanted Halloween costumes would help other families save money
Roberts said she had first gone to the library after spotting a poster promoting an activity where children could decorate their own bags.
After finding the swap shop, she said she was glad to see so many families getting involved.
She said she had already set aside a bag of unwanted costumes at home and welcomed the chance for other families to reuse them.
"There's such a good sense of community here," she said.
Roberts called for similar events to be staged all year round, saying children also needed fancy dress outfits for school discos and other occasions.
She said she did not want children to feel left out because their families could not afford costumes.
Grace Barlow said the scheme aimed to ease financial pressure on families and reduce textile waste
Grace Barlow, from Knowsley Council's recycling engagement team, said the initiative was designed to ease financial pressure on parents while reducing textile waste.
"There's such a huge pressure on parents to be buying new costumes every year," she said.
Barlow, who has two children, said she understood how costumes could end up being stored away or thrown out after just one use.
The council hopes unwanted costumes will be donated and reused by other families
She said the council had previously held popular events offering pre-loved Christmas jumpers and hoped the Halloween scheme would continue in future years.
The council is urging families to donate unwanted costumes at collection points in its libraries after Halloween so they can be reused next year.