Re-invent your old clothes

 

 

 

Southend residents are invited to this free workshop from 2pm on Thursday 15th December at the Business Eco-Hub, The Stables, 2a St. John's Road, Westcliff, SS0 7JZ.  

You can learn how to customise old items of clothing and perfect your sewing skills, at the fun event hosted by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, and Recycling and Waste contractor, Cory Environmental, in partnership with Southend YMCA's Eco Hub.  

From 5pm at the same venue Southend YMCA will host its Business Enterprise Exchange network opportunity 'Tis the Season to be Wasteful' - offering young people and entrepreneurs helpful tips on environmental policy as part of business plans.  

The evening will also involve a 'Swishing' event where you can swap unwanted clothes for ones you'd love, so be sure to bring along any items in need of a new home.  

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport, Councillor Tony Cox said: "This Make do and Mend event is a great way for people to bring along old clothes and to get top tips to refresh their wardrobe cheaply in time for Christmas.  

"Reusing items is an easy step to take to reduce your waste as we strive to reach a 60 per cent recycling rate by 2015.

"We are really pleased to be able to host both this event, and the one which follows it, in partnership with the Eco-Hub, which provides a fantastic venue for the local community and a launch pad for young entrepreneurs in Southend.  

"We look forward to seeing Southend residents throughout the afternoon!"  

Local Entrepreneur Helen Ralston, from HER Clothing, who is running the workshop, says: "I am glad to be able to offer my skills in order to help local residents learn in this way.  

"Not only is it fun learning how to customise clothes through simple sewing techniques, but it is also great for the environment."  

The first four people to attend the workshop will get an alteration done for free, so if you have something like a lining of a jacket that needs mending, come along!  

To reserve a space at the events, email:LMulchrone@coryenvironmental.co.uk or visit www.facebook.com/southendrecyclingchampions

For details about the recycling schemes in Southend, visit www.southend.gov.uk/recycling

Southend-on-Sea offers a weekly kerbside collection scheme of the following:

·           Recycling using pink recycling sacks

·           Textiles and clothing using clear textile recycling sacks

·           Unavoidable cooked and uncooked food waste using the blue food waste collection bin

·           Refuse (landfill waste) using black refuse sacks

·           Garden waste using the green bin (opt into scheme)

·           Garden waste using pre-paid compostable sacks (opt into scheme)

Cory Environmental is one of the UK's leading recycling, waste management and energy recovery companies. For more information, visit www.coryenvironmental.co.uk