When my school asked us to complete a week of work experience, I knew I wanted to do something creative that would help build my confidence and gain experience for the future. I was so excited to spend the week with the Communications, PR and Marketing team at Excelcare, where my mum, Sam Manning, has worked for an incredible 32 years and is Chief Operating Officer (COO).

I’m a Year 10 student at Coopers School in Chislehurst, and although I still have another year left at school, I’ll be starting Saturday Fashion College this September because fashion has always been my passion. 
At the start of the week, I thought I’d be learning about communications, marketing and social media. I never imagined I’d end up planning, styling and presenting my very own fashion show!

The week began with a visit to Park Avenue Care Home, where I spent time chatting with residents about fashion throughout their lives. We talked about what they loved wearing when they were younger, the jobs they had, the clothes they wore for work, special occasions they remembered and the outfits that made them feel confident. Listening to everyone’s stories was honestly my favourite part of the week. It made me realise that fashion isn’t just about clothes. Every outfit tells a story and holds memories of people, places and moments that are important to us. As we left the home that day, my mind was full of ideas. I wanted to create a fashion show that celebrated the residents and the incredible lives they have lived.

The next step was shopping. I was joined by Maddie, Lexie and Leyla, and together we visited local charity shops and high street stores looking for clothes, shoes and accessories inspired by the residents’ memories. Thanks to a very generous high street gift voucher from the iDesign and to everyone that donated clothes for the event, we were able to choose outfits that really reflected the stories we’d heard. Shopping together was so much fun and seeing all the ideas come together made me even more excited for the big day.

Once the outfits were ready, the Communications, PR and Marketing team completely embraced my idea and volunteered to become my catwalk models. A huge thank you to Leyla, Lexie, Maddie, Sadie, Amelie, Jess, Josh and Sonnie, who all stepped onto the runway with confidence, enthusiasm and plenty of smiles. They made every outfit come to life and threw themselves into making the afternoon as special as possible.

When the 16 July finally arrived, I couldn’t believe everything was ready. The garden at Park Avenue looked absolutely beautiful. The sun was shining, residents, relatives and team members gathered together and there was such a wonderful atmosphere from the moment everyone arrived. Cupid Creative transformed the garden with beautiful flowers and an amazing catwalk runway, making it feel like a real fashion event.
One of my favourite surprises was seeing the beautiful “Welcome to Bailey’s Fashion Show” sign that had been designed and gifted by Sadie, Director of Communications, PR and Marketing. Seeing my own event brought to life like that made me feel so proud, and it’s something I’ll treasure forever. 

As the music began, each model walked down the catwalk while I introduced every outfit, explaining which resident had inspired the look and why. Every outfit represented someone’s story. Some celebrated favourite colours, others reflected careers, special memories or timeless fashion that residents remembered wearing when they were younger. It was so lovely seeing residents smiling as they recognised the inspiration behind the outfits. The Pimm’s was flowing, cake was enjoyed by everyone, and the garden was filled with laughter, cheers, applause and lots of friendly banter. Seeing so many happy faces made every minute of planning worthwhile. 

Park Avenue has always held a special place in my heart because my grandad used to live there. When I was younger, Mum and I visited him there regularly, so returning to organise my own event brought back so many happy memories. I know that if Grandad had been there, he would have absolutely loved the fashion show. I can imagine him sitting in the audience, laughing, clapping and cheering everyone on. It meant so much that my nan came along to support me. Having her there made the day even more emotional and reminded me just how special Park Avenue will always be to my family.

At the end of the show, I thanked everyone for coming and for supporting my very first fashion show. I told everyone how much I’d loved spending time getting to know the residents throughout the week. Listening to their stories and using those memories as inspiration had been such a privilege. I also thanked the Communications, PR and Marketing team for welcoming me, believing in my ideas and trusting me to lead a real project. They encouraged me every step of the way and happily swapped their desks for the catwalk to help make my vision become a reality.

Finally, I thanked my mum. She has always encouraged me to believe in myself, follow my dreams and never be afraid to try new things. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t think I would have had the confidence to organise something like this. She has always been there for me, helping me grow in confidence and believing in me every step of the way. As I looked over at her while I was speaking, I noticed a little tear behind her glasses. Afterwards she told me how proud she was of me, and hearing those words meant more than I can ever explain.

Just when everyone thought the afternoon was over, the music started again. Residents couldn’t resist joining in. One by one, they took to the catwalk themselves, smiling from ear to ear as they proudly showed off their own model walks. The cheering got louder, the laughter continued and before long everyone was singing together to round off the afternoon. Watching the residents confidently walking the runway was my favourite moment of the whole week. It reminded me that this wasn’t really about fashion. It was about celebrating people’s lives. It was about listening to stories, bringing back treasured memories, building confidence, bringing generations together and creating moments of happiness that everyone could share.

When I arrived for my work experience, I hoped I’d learn about PR and marketing. I certainly did. But I also learned that the best ideas come from listening, that fashion has the power to tell stories, and that a simple idea can bring so much joy to so many people. This has been one of the most inspiring weeks of my life, and I know I’ll never forget it. It’s made me even more excited to start Fashion College in September and continue following my dream of working in the fashion industry one day.