A clothes swapping initiative co-founded by a Westbury woman has saved more than 2,000 items from landfill last year.
Swap Society, launched in spring last year, was set up by Gracie May White and Meagan Powell after the pair met at Westbury’s Dorothy House charity shop, where Gracie is the manager. The pair bonded over a shared passion for sustainability and second-hand fashion.
Since holding their first event in May, the duo have hosted four clothing swaps across Wiltshire. More than 300 people attended the events during 2025, with 2,180 items of clothing kept in circulation rather than thrown away.
“Together we attended local clothing swaps at village and community halls, and we felt there was a gap to do them from a slightly different angle,” said Gracie.
“We loved the swaps we volunteered at and understand how important they are, especially in communities facing hardship, but we wanted to create something more intimate and a bit more trendy. That’s how Swap Society was born.”
Over the past year, Gracie and Meagan have connected with Swap Nation, the largest clothing swap organisation in the UK, as well as a number of local event partners.
They are now hoping to build on the project’s early success by hosting four to five swaps in 2026, returning to some existing venues while also expanding to new locations across Wiltshire. Plans are also in place to introduce a Swap Society loyalty card to reward regular attendees.
“There are a lot of younger people shopping second-hand now. It’s more trendy,” said Gracie. “Being sustainable is cool, caring about the planet is cool, and that plays a big part in it.
“We’re also really trying to get men on board. We’ve had a few attend swaps already, and reaching more people in that demographic would be great.”
Swap Society events cost £5 to attend, with participants invited to bring up to 20 items of clothing. Each item is exchanged for a token, which can be used to swap for another item. Any leftover clothing is donated to Dorothy House to help keep items out of landfill.
Updates and information about future events can be found on the Swap Society Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/61574407386924
Pictured: Meagan and Gracie
