Falkirk business wants used jeans for upcycling sewing workshops to tie in with COP26 summit

Falkirk Sewing Studio is running sessions which will turn donated used jeans into reusable bags for life to coincide with this month’s UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow.

With help from independent support group Outside the Box, plus the town’s Business Improvement District (BID), its staff believe the concept is the perfect fit for Falkirk.

Falkirk Sewing Studio, based in Callendar Square Shopping Centre, is now seeking donations of used jeans so members of the public can learn to sew, upcycle and reuse material.

Organisers say their workshops also represent an opportunity “to network, build your social contacts with like-minded people and end social isolation”.

The bags participants produce will be sold for £2.50 each at Falkirk Sewing Studio, via its online store and at a Green Market in Falkirk, with 50 per cent of proceeds being donated to Outside The Box.

The shop will be open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, until November 7, so people can hand in clothing.

A drop-off box will also be placed in front of the studio's shutters outside of these times.

Its workshops, which began on Wednesday, form part of a wider SHOP26 initiative being run in Falkirk ahead of COP26 (October 31-November 12).

Daily drop-in cutting sessions will take place between 10am and noon, while sewing classes will run from 1-3pm.

No experience is necessary. Drinks and snacks will be provided.

Uatandua Kahere, director of Ubuntu Collaborative CIC, the social enterprise which runs Falkirk Sewing Studio, said: “We are delighted to have this activity to coincide with COP26 and raise awareness of the biggest challenges faced by us in our local community in Falkirk.

“The activity is designed in such a way that it links in with our social enterprises goals to promote skills in sewing and helps participants to end loneliness and social isolation.

“We encourage members of the community to donate used, unwanted jeans and learn these new skills.”

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