The Bags for Life project is a collaboration between Widening Participation Unit at LCF, St Joseph’s Hospice and local Hackney schools. With the help of LCF sewing technicians and student ambassadors, the project aims to raise awareness in the local community of the role of St Joseph’s Hospice through developing young people’s sewing skills and knowledge, to construct bags from second hand clothing. The garments are deconstructed, redesigned and then sold to local events to raise funds for the hospice.
Anita Brien, St Joseph’s Hospice community fundraiser said, “The project’s been a great benefit for the hospice, from a fundraising point of view we can sell a pair of jeans at a jumble sale for just a pound, however once the project has turned those jeans into a beautiful new handbag we can sell that new bag for five pounds. So for fundraising it’s been fantastic.”
Bags for Life last year won the LCF Sustainability Award and has been selected as a finalist for the Green Gown Awards 2014. Bags for Life is part of a series of projects with St Joseph’s Hospice. The Hackney schools involved were, The Bridge Academy, The City Academy, and The Urswick School.
- Read more about Bags for Life
- Find out more about St Joseph’s Hospice
- Read more about the Widening Participation Unit at LCF
- Read more about the Green Gown Awards
Images: Frederica Longdon, MA Entrepreneurship and Innovation