Stitch Saves Nine

Great kick off event today - the place was buzzing! Delighted to be involved - and can't wait to work with such exciting sustainable start-ups over the coming weeks... what a great job Jennifer Neff & team 👏 Invest Northern Ireland Founder Labs The AMP Growth Incubator www.stitchsavesnine.com

I have many hats when it comes to sustainable textiles - but my favourite is the role I play at Repair & Share Foyle as textile lead. We've been collaborating with Cooneen Group, Heron Bros and local schools @lumenchrusticollegederry, @st.cecilia'scollegederry, @foylecollegederry and @St.Brigidscollegederry to deliver on the Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Tackling Textiles, Skills & Innovation Initiative, (funded by DAERA through the Carrier Bag Levy). Read more about it in the post 👇👇 www.stitchsavesnine.com

The timing for our shirt upcycling workshops with the year 11 students at @St.Cecilia'sCollege couldn't be better as the news spreads that the much anticipated shirt factory sculpture is under construction (as part of the Harbour Square Public Realm Project through Derry City & Strabane District Council for @departmentforcommunities). The students have been learning about the city's shirt making heritage and are using this information to inspire their designs. The shirt making industry developed in Derry in the early to mid 1800's. By the 1920s, there were more than 40 shirt factories in the city, employing thousands of skilled workers, with thousands more servicing the industry from their homes. The vast majority of those who worked in the factories were women, and their impactful contribution to society throughout the years is still evident. In the mid 1900's the women were instrumental in the formation of unions and the organisation of strikes to demand better pay and working conditions - setting precedent for future policy and raising the bar for activism. The factory ladies @friendsofthefactories have pushed long and hard for commemoration, and even though the sculpture doesn't completely represent the driving force that these women were and are (why are the decision makers so afraid of statues of women???), it's great that a landmark is finally visibly in construction - within their lifetimes... Wouldn't it be great if we could bring back local production, sewing skills, quality garments, fair wages... instil pride in the community - and balance out the overproduction and overconsumption that comes with cheap, poor quality fast fashion... would love to hear your thoughts... www.stitchsavesnine.com Patrick Grant #PatrickGranthastherightidea Jennifer Holloway #JenniferHollowayhastherightidea Repair & Share Foyle #derrygirls #shirtfactories #sustainabletextiles #skillsdevelopment #fairtrade #buybetterbuylesswearlonger

What a great week of educational outreach... As part of Repair & Share Foyle we have received funding from Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful through @DAERA to tackle texile waste through skills & innovation. Along with students from Foyle College, @St.Cecilia'sCollegeDerry and @LumenChristiCollegeDerry, we visited the Cooneen Group in Five Mile Town to learn about their business, how they practice Corporate Social Responsibility and sustainability, and had a full factory tour to identify potential sources of fabric waste. What day! The project doesn't end here... We will be working with Cooneen, more schools, and other businesses in a series of workshops to encourage the students to think innovatively and design circular solutions for the textile waste. During this process, the students will also make prototypes, and present their findings back to the businesses... watch this space! 🪡🧵♻️ NIRN - Northern Ireland Resources Network www.stitchsavesnine.com

Delighted, as part of Repair & Share Foyle , to be able to share knowledge and skills in textile repair with the young people of @reachacrossderry/londonderry. What a great bunch - and what a great initiative... #textileskills #repair #sustainableskills #sustainablefashion www.stitchsavesnine.com

Thanks to Aligned and Stitch Saves Nine for joining me today to provide 1-2-1 support and guidance for our FEED Programme Participants - thanks Aoife Heaney for organising everything so well. Kat McLaughlin Ryan Williams Deirdre Williams Paul Curran David Kelly NatWest Group

It's European Week for Waste Reduction #EWWR2024 - and a perfect time to start our 10 week sustainable design project at St Cecilia's College, Derry with the year 11 Textiles students. We started off looking and discussing the hard hitting facts about fashion's impact on the environment - which was actually surprising to most of the students! We then went on to study designers & brands that are making sustainable efforts in their design, production and end of life practices. With Derry being the home of the shirt factories, we're going to work on the redesign and upcycle of men's shirts that would otherwise end up in the bin - and ultimately on landfill or incineration... It was great to see the students get excited about the project so far, take inspiration from the designers , and talk about the innovative ways to redesign and make their own creations... Watch this space...👔♻️ 🧵🪡 #wasteisoutoftaste www.stitchsavesnine.com

Discover Membership, Workshops, and E-Waste Solutions! We’re excited to bring our new space in Derry to life, and we’d love for you to be part of it. Explore our new website to see what’s on offer and how you can get involved! https://lnkd.in/dPuFQc2K Jamie O'Hare Aisling McEvoy Stitch Saves Nine Elisia Gormley Brad Dickinson NIRN - Northern Ireland Resources Network Material Focus

Great launch of 'FEED Your Network' @theAMPgrowthincubator today. The room was full of interesting, innovative and really friendly people - all willing to raise each other up from the get go! The programme is packed and is designed to help each of the members flourish whatever stage of journey. Delighted to be involved in the delivery... #sustainablestartups www.stitchsavesnine.com

A couple of weeks ago something pretty amazing happened! We threw a launch party to celebrate our Library of Things and new headquarters based at the RathMor business park in Derry. We kind of crashed afterwards - because the volunteer model tends to do that to a core team BUT we remain hopeful and energetic about the future after that wee half term 'rest'. Our community Interest Company is buzzing to have built something so incredibly special, vibrant, dynamic and a little bit disruptive. If you want to support us in any way big or small, through sponsorship or partnership, our doors are wide open and we are ready to keep pushing for a localised circular economy accessible for all. LOT membership is available for subscription from from this weekend onwards and you can borrow anything from a carpet cleaner to a hand drill! Thanks to everyone that came and supported our journey and to The National Lottery Community Fund Northern Ireland Awards for All for funding our Tool Library and to those that supported our Crowdfunder to give the space a revamp. Even items from our Recycle Your Electricals Material Focus sponsored campaign ended up on the library shelves, demonstrating how one funded project can have a ripple effect on another. Cllr. Lilian Seenoi Barr Eimear Montague Nuala Griffiths Northern Ireland Housing Executive Colin Breen Elisia Gormley Brad Dickinson Catherine Taylor Aisling McEvoy Jamie O'Hare Deirdre Williams Stitch Saves Nine