Duke of Edinburgh Volunteers Made Aprons for local Cafe!
Here at Little Hands Design we have completed a new project to design and make sustainable, zero-waste aprons for the cafe ‘MOTHER Canteen’. They were made out of discarded beyond repair jeans passed on to us from clients, users of the https://www.lsomosaic.com/, and inner tubes donated to us from https://www.impressedlondon.com.
Four Duke of Edinburgh volunteers, who had previously completed their ‘skills’ award with Little Hands Design took on the challenge of designing versatile aprons while taking into consideration any modifications to make them more effective such as a big front pocket, a loop on the side to hold any utensils and tools, and even adjustable straps made of the tubes to ensure they would fit everyone and fit their purpose accurately. Chris, from MOTHER Canteen said, at the beginning of the project; “I wanted a type of uniform, something branded but I wasn’t sure exactly what, until they told me their idea, which I thought was beautiful.”
With this collaboration, not only did the students manage to contribute to their DoE ‘volunteering’ award and teach them that volunteering at this charity can have an actual positive impact on the community, but it also led to a generous donation from https://www.mothercanteen.com/ which helped contribute to Little Hands Design’s bursary scheme to support refugees and disadvantaged families.
“I managed to use many of the things I had learned during the term I attended to complete my DoE ‘skills’ award – using a sewing machine, deconstructing and reconstructing existing clothes for a thoughtful re-design and hand-stitching.” – (S. DoE volunteer)
The project was enjoyable and allowed the volunteers to learn or practise new skills they might not be familiar with, such as sewing over different materials (rubber, denim, cotton), and learn how to design a versatile item that would work for anyone while keeping it ergonomic. The main idea was to make the aprons completely recycled and to minimise the amount of waste and scraps from the materials used. Since MOTHER Canteen gave us overall creative freedom, the volunteers were able to express their creativity and make their own design choices which contributed to the final successful result of the aprons.
We often collaborate with local organisations and businesses, because it really fits with our strong focus on the local community and getting involved. Being connected to the local community opens a variety of opportunities for us, our students and volunteers to meet new people, make a difference and inspire the people around us to contribute.
“For us, we have a zero-to-no waste policy, so working with Little Hands Design, who focus on upcycling or using materials that already exist, means a lot and we get to showcase something fabulous and gorgeous – it fits with our ethos. It has a homely, funky, cool touch to the whole thing so we really appreciate Little Hands.” – Chris, MOTHER Canteen
SHOUT OUT TO OTHER LOCAL BUSINESSES! Some other examples of organisations are @kavanaghsbelsize, a newly reopened supermarket which has a ‘zero-waste’ corner, and may be interested in having us make them reusable textile makeup removers. Or @impressedlondon might want some plant macrame hangers made of their own broken innertubes to highlight to their customers that someone’s waste is another person’s resource! All these projects are examples of how circularity in the community works and, how by all helping each other, we are helping the wider community by being more sustainable as a whole. Get in touch and see what our fantastic DoE volunteers can create for your business!
