The funeral directors giving teenagers in Swindon a free limo ride to prom

  • Watch Katherine Cenaj's report

Prom is one of the most exciting days in the calendar for many teenagers leaving school, but it can be a costly affair.

The price of tickets, new clothes and limousines are pricing many teenagers out of the end-of-year celebration. As the cost of living rises - more and more families will find the cost of having fun at school unaffordable.

For teenagers in Swindon, however, one funeral director is trying to do their bit to help.

Family-run Hillier's Funeral Service is offering students free use of its fleet of limos to get to prom in style.

The idea came from general manager Rebecca Hillier, who says she was inspired to help when her own staff asked to borrow the limos to drop their own children off at prom.

Hillier's have a fleet of four limousines which they hired out for free Credit: Hillier's Funeral Service

She said: "These kids have obviously worked hard for their GCSEs and they’ve had their education disrupted through Covid so to be able to provide a little treat for them tonight and all the other nights is just amazing.

"I’ve had quite a few phone calls from families saying how grateful they are and how they couldn’t have afforded to do it otherwise," she added.

The company posted on social media offering the service to anyone "who was feeling the pinch" and were shocked by the response.

They were inundated with requests and received hundreds of comments from families who were struggling to keep up with the costs of prom.

In the few days after the post went up, 26 prom drop-offs were booked over the three-week prom season.

Sarah Roberts is just one parent who reached out to Rebecca after seeing the post online. She said the offer of a free ride for her daughter had taken the pressure off her and her husband.

"With the cost of living prices, to see that online and to know that we could send our daughter in a nice car rather than just our car and she can arrive with her friends in style has been a blessing," she said.

About £500 was donated to the Prospect Hospice by limo passengers and their families

Families are making donations to charity in lieu of a hire fee and more than £2,000 has already been raised by the limo passengers.

The Prospect Hospice in Swindon is one of the charities that have received donations.

Jane Green, a matron at the hospice, said: "It’s absolutely amazing. It astounds us every day.

"The generosity of the community around us and getting young people involved is succession planning for the future and we are delighted."