Members of Northumberland Wildlife Trust’s Young Peoples Forum with a number of donated items of clothing.
Switch and stitch with wildlife charity
Each year around £140 million worth of used, but still wearable, clothing goes to landfill sites in the UK - the result of what is commonly referred to as ‘fast fashion.’
In recognition of this, Northumberland Wildlife Trust and members of its Young People’s Forum are taking action for the planet and hosting the first Switch and Stitch: Eco Fashion festival at Northumbria University’s Student Union building on Saturday 18 November.
Billed as an alternative to fast fashion, the aim of Switch and Stitch, which runs from 11am - 4pm, is for people to swap clothes and get tips on how to mend and upcycle their wardrobe favourites from fashion experts.
South Shields based clothing brand Barbour has donated a selection of men's and women's jackets, gilets, smart shirts and wellington boots for swapping and a mixture of men's and women's clothes have been donated by Karen Colley, a Community Champion at a Tesco Extra store in Newcastle.
In addition to clothes swapping, there will be the opportunity to watch an eco-fashion show with models from Newcastle University's Fashion Society, find out more about fast fashion and its effects on the environment and hear music from local Geordie band, The Timewasters.
A selection of classic jackets and boots, again donated by Barbour, will be raffled off at the end of the festival.
Marion Cowan and Liz Heard in donated Barbour fleece and jackets. Image by Fiona Dryden.
Liz Heard, Northumberland Wildlife Trust Eco Mentor says:
“I’m delighted with all the clothing donations from Trust supporters and from Barbour and Tesco Extra in support of our Eco Fashion event. The funds raised will not only support our vital conservation work but will also raise awareness of the impact ‘fast fashion’ has on the environment. It’s great to see so many people standing up for the planet.”
The event has been made possible thanks to a generous grant of £2,100 from the Local Environmental Action Fund (LEAF) at the Community Foundation. As a funder, LEAF helps people to deliver projects that tackle environmental issues in their local area.
If somebody doesn’t have any clothes to swap, they can still join in the event by purchasing a token for £3.
More details about the event and how to sign up can be found at www.nwt.org.uk/events/2023-11-18-switch-and-stitch-eco-fashion-festival