AT the News & Star, we're shining a light on the help that is available to make your money go further as part of our #YourMoneyMatters campaign. 

As we go through the cost-of-living crisis, the last thing on people's minds is spending money on clothes, but this week there's a sustainably driven opportunity to get yourself some fresh threads whilst saving yourself the unnecessary expense - all you have to do is bring along some preloved clothes and accessories of your own. 

Celestina Mahovic and Ellie O'Neill have been running Clothes Swap Cumbria for five years but only in the past month has it been introduced to Carlisle. 

READ MORE: Cost of living - Botcherby Community Centre is looking to give you a 'hand up'

This Saturday (May 28), from 10am - 3pm, the duo will be hosting their second ever clothes swap in Carlisle's Botcherby Community Centre. 

"We're getting a stronger following of people from word of mouth really but we're definitely getting more people coming, we don't know whether that is because of people feeling the money pinch or just wanting to be environmentally friendly," Celestina said. 

"People can bring as much as they want and take as much as they want. But we do just ask that people don't bring their old paint clothes or something covered in cat hair but we do usually get quite good stuff in.

"We want people to come, get rid of clothes and pick up others so they don't have to go shopping again," she said. 

Celestina said it's open to "absolutely anybody" providing the opportunity to grab womens, mens and childrens clothing. 

"I think most of my clothes now come from the clothes swap but that's not to say I'm picking up all the best, I wait till the end and we always have so much leftover. 

"It is scary how much people are just getting rid of and more worrying sending to landfill otherwise," she said. 

The event will be ran in conjunction with Carlisle's Repair Cafe - a service which allows members of the community to come in and get broken household items repaired to both reduce landfill waste, and ultimately save people money. 

Attendees are encouraged to bring everything from clothes in need of mending; bicycles, appliances, garden tools, toys and furniture.

If you would like to share your experience of the cost of living crisis, if you are a charity or organisations offering support, or a businesses overcoming the odds to survive and thrive get in touch with us.

Email us on news.carlisle@cnmedia.co.uk or tweet us @newsandstar #YourMoneyMatters

READ MORE: Don't bin it... get it fixed for free at this new café

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