14/05/2010
FAB FABs: a Green Champions Project for Action 21
A group of residents in Warwick District have come together to volunteer on a project as much inspired by a make do and mend sense of frugality as a desire to be creative with what other people throw away.
Volunteers from Action 21 based at the new Re-Useful Centre on Ramsey Road, with kind support from the Sydni Centre in Sydenham, have sourced bags and bags full of clothing, curtains and fabric consigned to landfill or recycling and have given it a new lease of life at weekly community sewing meetings hosted by the Sydni Centre.
Volunteer Ali Smith says, "the real idea of the group is to provide a loud message about how much reusable fabric is being recycled or landfilled when it can be more effectively reused. Sewing is a powerful craft and really important for a future where we can't depend on oil, so this project is about empowering and inspiring people to think about their clothing and where it comes from in the same way as they think about their food nowadays."
"We have all been rather shocked by the volume and quantity of, often immaculate, clothing and textiles that we have diverted from landfill and recycling into our project for reuse - it is sobering to think that this is but a tiny sample of the entire country's waste fabrics."
On 12th June between 2pm and 4pm you are invited to The Sydni Centre in Sydenham to a Charity Swap Shop event run by the Fab Fabs volunteers. Please bring along at least one item to swap – it could be anything: hats, bags, tea-towels – anything. We particularly welcome any unusual items in our FASHION AMNESTY! The message is REUSE not RECYCLE. The event hopes to raise funds for Action 21 and inspire people to run their own clothes swaps, get into a bit of make do and mend, or make something more challenging! Entry is FREE but please make a donation if you can. All proceeds go back into local projects that are helping us have a more sustainable future.
Come along, swap some clothes, take away a reusable bag pattern and make your own, and volunteer for this project or other amazing Action 21 projects, be inspired by examples of what you can make with an old pair of jeans or a pair of curtains.
Warwickshire College run evening leisure sewing and dressmaking as well as textiles courses in the local community. There are concessions for these courses for those in receipt of certain benefits– people will be able to sign up for these courses at the Charity Swap Shop on 12th June.
Ali says, "we have been making patchwork squares and bunting and are leading up to a bigger project of making all the curtains for Action 21’s new Sustainability Centre (at East Lodge in Jephson Gardens) to showcase fabric reuse. We welcome more volunteers onto this project!"
Why Swap Instead of Shop?
You can’t really lose by having or attending a clothes swapping party - you could get rid of some old clothes that are cluttering up your house and get a new outfit for free. You’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you are ‘shopping’ in an ethical way. Cutting down on cheap throwaway fashion is a concern for many who do not want to contribute to the 900,000 tonnes of shoes and clothes that are thrown away in the UK every year.
As well as having a feel good factor financially and environmentally, clothes swapping parties are a fun event in themselves. You get to try out new outfits and see someone else make something new of your old clothes too.
Come along to our Swap Shop on Saturday 12th June to see how it works. Please bring at least one item to swap - don't forget bangles, bags, and hats! Bring a reusable bag to take your new clothes home with you - and take away a pattern to help you make your own bag.
FAB FABs: a Green Champions Project for Action 21
A group of residents in Warwick District have come together to volunteer on a project as much inspired by a make do and mend sense of frugality as a desire to be creative with what other people throw away.
Volunteers from Action 21 based at the new Re-Useful Centre on Ramsey Road, with kind support from the Sydni Centre in Sydenham, have sourced bags and bags full of clothing, curtains and fabric consigned to landfill or recycling and have given it a new lease of life at weekly community sewing meetings hosted by the Sydni Centre.
Volunteer Ali Smith says, "the real idea of the group is to provide a loud message about how much reusable fabric is being recycled or landfilled when it can be more effectively reused. Sewing is a powerful craft and really important for a future where we can't depend on oil, so this project is about empowering and inspiring people to think about their clothing and where it comes from in the same way as they think about their food nowadays."
"We have all been rather shocked by the volume and quantity of, often immaculate, clothing and textiles that we have diverted from landfill and recycling into our project for reuse - it is sobering to think that this is but a tiny sample of the entire country's waste fabrics."
On 12th June between 2pm and 4pm you are invited to The Sydni Centre in Sydenham to a Charity Swap Shop event run by the Fab Fabs volunteers. Please bring along at least one item to swap – it could be anything: hats, bags, tea-towels – anything. We particularly welcome any unusual items in our FASHION AMNESTY! The message is REUSE not RECYCLE. The event hopes to raise funds for Action 21 and inspire people to run their own clothes swaps, get into a bit of make do and mend, or make something more challenging! Entry is FREE but please make a donation if you can. All proceeds go back into local projects that are helping us have a more sustainable future.
Come along, swap some clothes, take away a reusable bag pattern and make your own, and volunteer for this project or other amazing Action 21 projects, be inspired by examples of what you can make with an old pair of jeans or a pair of curtains.
Warwickshire College run evening leisure sewing and dressmaking as well as textiles courses in the local community. There are concessions for these courses for those in receipt of certain benefits– people will be able to sign up for these courses at the Charity Swap Shop on 12th June.
Ali says, "we have been making patchwork squares and bunting and are leading up to a bigger project of making all the curtains for Action 21’s new Sustainability Centre (at East Lodge in Jephson Gardens) to showcase fabric reuse. We welcome more volunteers onto this project!"
Why Swap Instead of Shop?
You can’t really lose by having or attending a clothes swapping party - you could get rid of some old clothes that are cluttering up your house and get a new outfit for free. You’ll also have the satisfaction of knowing that you are ‘shopping’ in an ethical way. Cutting down on cheap throwaway fashion is a concern for many who do not want to contribute to the 900,000 tonnes of shoes and clothes that are thrown away in the UK every year.
As well as having a feel good factor financially and environmentally, clothes swapping parties are a fun event in themselves. You get to try out new outfits and see someone else make something new of your old clothes too.
Come along to our Swap Shop on Saturday 12th June to see how it works. Please bring at least one item to swap - don't forget bangles, bags, and hats! Bring a reusable bag to take your new clothes home with you - and take away a pattern to help you make your own bag.
Find out more about the Fab Fabs project or our other practical projects.
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