Southport’s alternative and vintage wardrobes are getting a night out.
The Hearth Network CIC is holding the Black Cat Swap at Southport Market on Wednesday 14th October 2026, from 5pm to 8pm.
The theme is vintage, goth, punk and alternative clothing. People bring clothes they no longer wear and take home something new to them. It is free, there is no limit on how many items you can bring, and it is open to all ages.
People can drop off their clothes between 5pm and 6pm and leave, or stay to swap. No ticket is needed, but registering on Eventbrite helps the team plan numbers.
This time there is also a Halloween costume swap stand. Families can bring costumes their children have outgrown and pick up a different one, just over two weeks before Halloween.
The environmental charity Hubbub and the Fairyland Trust estimated in 2019 that Halloween costumes create around 2,000 tonnes of plastic waste in the UK each year. Many costumes are worn once and thrown away. A swap keeps them in use.
Rebecca Armstrong, Project Lead at The Hearth Network, said:
“Black Cat is our chance to have some fun with it. Southport has a brilliant alternative and vintage crowd, and so much good clothing sits at the back of wardrobes. Bring the leather jacket you never wear, the band T-shirts, the costume the kids have outgrown, and go home with something new to you. Every item swapped stays in use and out of landfill.”
The Black Cat Swap is the third of six community swaps at Southport Market.
The first two, in August and September, kept more than 106 kilograms of clothing out of landfill.
Can’t make it on the night? The Hearth Network CIC’s free Garment Care Hub, at swishandstitchthehearth.online, has short videos on caring for, repairing and reusing clothes, and invites people to make a pledge to love their clothes for longer.
The swap is open to men and women. Clothes that are not taken on the night will be passed on. Good-quality items go to the Free Clothes Store at Lakeside Church, Southport, or to The Hearth Network’s textile workshops. Worn items go to the Salvation Army, which says it reuses or recycles 99% of the clothing it collects.
Southport Market has given its venue free of charge for all six swaps. The event is run with Enhance Events and a team of local volunteers.
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