Sew London Project CIC

Details about the Community Interest Company

The Sew London Project CIC is a social enterprise that has a strong track record of delivering creative, hands-on sewing, arts and craft and sustainability workshops that empower communities – particularly young girls in under-resourced schools – while supporting national goals around circular fashion, life skills, and inclusive education. The aims of the enterprise are to reduce textile waste by empowering communities through hands-on workshops. The organisation teaches essential repair and alteration sewing skills, allowing individuals to extend the life of their garments and reduce their environmental impact. In addition to workshops, Sew London offers a variety of services, including clothing rentals, professional repair and alteration services, and the resale of preloved clothing.

Details of the Project

We are delighted to be supporting the Upcycle My Garment challenge which will inspire young girls to view fashion differently. It will target girls from disadvantaged backgrounds and will benefit over 100 children aged 8-16 across 6 to 8 schools in both Barking and Dagenham and Redbridge. The challenge is designed to leave a lasting impact on the girls who take part, as they dive into upcycling, the girls will gain practical life skills, like hand-sewing, using a sewing machine and repairing or altering clothes – skills which are rarely taught in schools today. These skills will empower them to be more self-sufficient and confident in their abilities. The sessions are also good for mental well-being – offering calm, focused and tactile experiences that support emotional regulation and mindfulness. The project will consist of school based-workshops and a summer holiday workshop. The project will culminate in an end of project online showcase.

Delivery of project

We are excited to share that the Upcycle My Garment creative fashion programme has successfully launched in two schools across Barking and Dagenham, Sydney Russell School and Jo Richardson Community School. This inspiring initiative has empowered over 30 girls to develop practical skills such as basic sewing, clothing repairs and customisation – using both hand stitching and sewing machines. This programme is about more than just fashion creativity – it encourages a shift in mindset, helping young people learn to appreciate what they already own, rethink their consumption habits and embrace the value of repairing rather than discarding. In addition to building creative confidence, the sessions have also been great for mental wellbeing – offering calm, focused and tactile experiences that support emotional regulation and mindfulness. The participating girls were thoughtfully selected by their schools as those who would benefit most from this opportunity.

Thanks to this funding, Kemi, founder of the Sew London Project – will be able to run additional workshops throughout the summer holiday, reaching a further 60 to 70 young girls. Sew London Project is offering an Upcycle My Garment programme over the summer holidays. The programme is offered to 20 girls per day from the Barking and Dagenham borough. This initiative is a hands-on, inspiring programme that aims to:

• Teach essential sewing and upcycling skills
• Foster creative expression through sustainable fashion
• Build confidence, teamwork, and a sense of accomplishment
• Promote environmental awareness and garment recycling
All workshops are delivered by an experienced creative tutor. Materials and equipment are provided, and thanks to the generous support of the Park Charitable Trust for Girls, participation is completely free. The programme is being delivered on Monday 4th August through to Friday 8th August and there are 20 places available each day.

We are also delighted that a further three Redbridge schools will benefit from these workshops over the coming months, these include Woodford County High School, St Anthony’s Primary School and Valentines High School.

Impact and Outcomes of the summer holiday workshop and Jo Richardson and Sydney Russell Schools

The grant received has made a transformational difference to the Sew London Project. It has enabled us to deliver the Upcycle my Garment programme free of charge to girls who might not otherwise have access to creating learning opportunities outside of the classroom.

70+ children and young people (aged 11–17) took part directly in the Upcycle My Garment workshops.
They gained hands-on skills in sewing, repair, and upcycling, alongside increased confidence, creativity, and awareness of sustainability.
Students also benefited from the calm, mindful, and therapeutic environment of the sessions, supporting their overall wellbeing.
15 sixth Former’s from Jo Richardson Dagenham
13 Sydney Russell school Dagenham
Sew London project Creative Repurpose Space Summer Workshops

Individual Success Stories

One Year 9 student arrived with very little confidence, explaining she had “never been good at making things.” By the end of the programme, she proudly modelled the top she had customised and said she now wanted to study fashion at GCSE.
Another participant, who had been struggling with anxiety, described the workshops as “calm and relaxing,” and her teacher noted how focused and engaged she became in every session.
A group of friends who joined together collaborated on a project, learning to share tasks and support one another. They expressed pride in working as a team and asked to continue sewing after the programme finished.

Sydney Russell School

Jo Richardson School

Woodford County High School

St Antony’s Catholic Primary School

Impact and Outcomes of the workshops held in Woodford County High School, Valentines School and St Antony’s Primary School

70+ children and young people (aged 11–17) took part directly in the Upcycle My Garment workshops.
They gained hands-on skills in sewing, repair, and upcycling, alongside increased confidence, creativity, and awareness of sustainability.
Students also benefited from the calm, mindful, and therapeutic environment of the sessions, supporting their overall wellbeing.
15 sixth Former’s from Jo Richardson Dagenham
13 Sydney Russell school Dagenham
Sew London project Creative Repurpose Space Summer Workshops

Individual Success Stories

One Year 9 student arrived with very little confidence, explaining she had “never been good at making things.” By the end of the programme, she proudly modelled the top she had customised and said she now wanted to study fashion at GCSE.
Another participant, who had been struggling with anxiety, described the workshops as “calm and relaxing,” and her teacher noted how focused and engaged she became in every session.
A group of friends who joined together collaborated on a project, learning to share tasks and support one another. They expressed pride in working as a team and asked to continue sewing after the programme finished.