Moss Side Social Stitching take recycling into their own hands

• Women gather at Moss Side Millennium Powerhouse for recycling clothing project
• Recycling brings community together and helps their mental health
• Women show off their garments at annual fashion show

The Moss Side Millennium Powerhouse hosted a social stitching group where residents in the community could come together over tea and biscuits to do their bit for recycling.

With the help of local shops and clothes banks, the group are able to use unwanted clothes and materials to start their own projects.

Over the past few weeks, the group have been working on making their own bonnets and kimonos with sewing machines and fabrics provided by The Powerhouse.

They say that unwanted bedsheets in particular are very useful because of how big they are.

Participants get to keep their creations or donate them to those in need.

While sewing is the core ingredient to the group, many members attend for a chance to socialise and decompress from personal issues.

One women said she had been “sewing since I was a child” and the weekly sessions motivate her to continue with her hobby.

Another shared her touching story about how her disability effects her everyday life, but attending the Powerhouse weekly allows her to “feel involved” in something she loves.

Most of the women found the group through welfare advisors in attempt to expand their social lives.

They enjoy singing and chatting together while putting their sewing skills to use.

The fashion show

To celebrate and show off the groups handmade garments, they host an annual fashion show in the Powerhouse sports hall.

They invite friends, family and sponsors to attend and encourage everyone to bring food in order to contribute to their post fashion show feast.

The event focuses on having fun, dancing and promoting upcycling while taking the time to do something good for their mental health.

With the women in the group coming from different backgrounds, they enjoy tasting food from other cultures and sharing traditions.

The group welcome all women to join every Tuesday at 10am.