Longford Boutique to host fundraiser with TV's Lorraine Keane

Soul Boutique in Longford will host a pop-up event for Breast Cancer Ireland on Thursday, November 28 in collaboration with Lorraine Keane.

Lorraine has been a TV presenter, appearing in multiple TV shows such as Xposé and the TV3 news. She has also hosted and appeared on numerous Radio shows throughout her career.

However her impactful humanitarian efforts are the highlight of her career. “I’ve travelled to the developing world as a volunteer for the last 15 years and every time I’d come back from one of my trips I would see that so many of us, myself included have way too much stuff.

“And that some people on other parts of the planet have way too little, and I would see the damage we were doing to the planet as well.

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“So, I decided to sell a big chunk, 50% of my wardrobe at the time to raise money for Irish charities.”

This is how Lorraine's charity organisation, Fashion Relief, came to be. Since its inception, it has raised money for multiple charitable organisations.

“In the first five years, we raised a million euro for Irish charities.”

Fashion Relief prioritises circular fashion by ensuring that the clothes they sell are of the highest quality.

What happens to the pieces that aren't in the best shape? They don't get thrown away but recycled as Lorraine explains.
“If we get pieces that are fast fashion, or pieces that are too worn to sell we send them to a recycling company, they weigh them and the money we get in return goes to the Laura Lynn Children’s Hospital.”

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Every cent made by Fashion Relief goes to charity and anyone involved in there on an entirely voluntary basis.

Fashion Relief now works with Breast Cancer Ireland, which is what the Soul Boutique event is for.

“About 13 months ago we decided to bring it home to Ireland to a charity that was predominantly female because of the shoppers,” explains Lorraine. “That charity was of course Breast Cancer Ireland.”

Fashion Relief now has its own boutique in the Frascati Centre in Dublin.

“The women that donate and shop in the boutique, Breast cancer is something that has unfortunately touched us all.
“In the last year, our first year with Breast Cancer