Spotlight on: Friends of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Thanks to funding from last years Great Doncaster LESStival grant, the Friends of Our Lady of Mount Carmel hosted a ‘sewcial’ event which brought together parents, carers, and grandparents to repair, repurpose, and reconnect! The initiative aimed to extend the life of school uniforms, reduce textile waste, and build stronger community ties through practical skill-sharing.

During the project, Friends of OLMC:

• provided access to three sewing machines and a full kit of materials
• invited families to repair school uniforms, preventing items from ending up in your environment
• reimagined unsaleable uniform creating bunting and hair scrunchies in school colours
• extended uniform storage, enabling year-round access to organised and preserved preloved stock
• created a loan system for sewing kits enabling families to  take their new skills home!

The project has been such a success that Friends of OLMC plan to host future ‘sewcials’, furthering the incredible social and environmental impact of the scheme!

Feeling inspired? If you’d like to create something similar for your school, get in touch! We’re also keen to hear from sports organisations who could create similar preloved / repair kit schemes. Contact us at sustainabilityteam@doncaster.gov.uk