Sewing For Sustainability (360G-SCVO-a0gb000000QAfiiAAD)

Sewing for Sustainability It has to be said – on the surface an upcycling project doesn’t seem like it’s a new idea. But it is in East Renfrewshire particularly when it is linked with entrepreneurial skills for residents most at risk of welfare reform impacts including those with disabilities or additional support needs, single parents, low income households, young people in supported accommodation and people who affected by or at risk of, long term unemployment. As we are based in the Barrhead (G78) area we are fully accessible to Dunterlie and Auchenback, two communities ranked in the SIMD as 15% most disadvantaged. Sewing for Sustainability will recruit a sessional dressmaker and a number of volunteers to teach participants to sew from basic through to advanced techniques and upcycle fabric and discarded clothes to produce items for their own homes, families and also to sell in a ‘pop up’ café shop. In additional to learning sewing skills (from basic to advanced) participants will also learn micro entrepreneurial skills such as budgeting, marketing, cost and pricing etc. Participants will have an opportunity to volunteer in the pop up café shop hosted by Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire to develop hospitality skills in a fun and informal environment. East Ren is desperately short of roles where young people can volunteer with people with disabilities. This project would go a long way to filling this need and provide young people with a positive volunteering destination when leaving school. The sessional worker will be supported by Voluntary Action East Renfrewshire who will administer the salary, expenses and oversee income and expenditure. We recognise this isn’t a brand new concept but to quote Terry Pratchett, “just because you know how something works, doesn’t mean it isn’t still magic”.