RCC 4 – The Sewing Club
Proposer: Jane Mouncey
Funding allocated: £10,000
The Proposal:
The Sewing Club was one of the first groups to receive support from the RCC Programme, with a group based at Second Avenue and then Centre 4 attending Change Champions Training, and later a second group from Cleethorpes, including some young volunteers also came to Change Champions. Since 2013, the Club has established itself as a social enterprise and it has grown – setting up extra groups at Open Door and in Cleethorpes. It now operates seven separate sessions and several successful partnerships (in Scartho, Immingham and at St Augustine’s in Grimsby).
This group was awarded £10,000 from the RCC fund, which was used to buy equipment and to secure administrative support as it moved towards sustainability. Subsequently, it secured a further £10,000 from Awards for All, and Big Lottery funding. This has led to the Club developing “Parti-Points” rewards schemes where people can secure recognition according to how often they take part, similar to time banking. It is also professionalising its outlook and presentation. “Support around social media and effective marketing and promotion remains one of our biggest needs.”
Over the years, the number of people involved in planning and running the groups has grown, and most of the groups now function independently within the “Club” framework.
The Club has several Partnerships with schools, with volunteers working on curriculum areas and special projects, teaching primary children to use sewing machines. It has supported its own successful young people’s group for a period with some very challenged young people, although some significant health issues have temporarily halted this group; and runs a programme with Bright Minds for people with learning disabilities. These activities are teaching young people new skills, promoting inter-generational working and encouraging young people to get involved in safe activities with people of all ages.
The Club now has contact with over 80 people every week, with numbers regularly topping 100. “We keep our costs and prices low so that people can take part.
We have people of all ages taking part and a big increase in 30s-40s recently. We get at least two new people every week. People use our groups as a launch to other workshops elsewhere, or to set up their own independent activities, so our reach has been wider than our numbers”. “We have even worked with Adult Learning on providing “Setting Up your Own Craft Business” sessions”.
“Our success has been phenomenal. People are inspired by what we do, and we have received a lot of support from people. We deliver from basic sewing to advanced dress-making, with participants sharing their skills and teaching each other. We are now rolling out advanced tailoring courses, and can pay some tutors.”
“We have exceeded our own expectations. Support from RCC helped us to build new relationships and establish our credibility. It led to us working closely with the Collaboratives, and getting involved in Good Neighbours, particularly in Humberston. It promoted team-working and engagement for us. The support and guidance we had from RCC has been invaluable, especially knowing that they are always there if we need further advice. It would be good to know that there were further opportunities to develop our team working”.
In 2015, the Club estimated that its volunteers work an average of 3 hours per week (£880 in kind per week) a total of £35,200 in kind contribution in the year. 12 volunteer leaders and supporters invest regularly up to 80 hours a week working in the project. Some volunteers 3 days a week, at several locations. According to the national rate for volunteers @ £11/hour this investment equates to £880 per week. One woman who came along to a drop-in session simply for time off from her caring duties, now runs the St Augustine’s Group, working with another volunteer Change Champion from Cleethorpes who also branched out to set up this new group.
Members Empowered and Run Their Own Sewing Clubs: Our workshops are now run by members who are now leaders. We have invested in a tutor and gained other funds from our local authority to run professional tutor-led workshops. This has developed confidence in our leaders. Some now perform demonstrations in front of a dozen people, when before, they were extremely shy and had low self-esteem. Several have done Level One Textiles qualifications, with at least one completing Level Two. One volunteer club leader for one year is now working to Level 3 in Textiles to enable her to do her PGCE. 2 members who are young mothers (one of 6 children and the other with one child) have now taken fashion and textile courses at our local university, inspired by being involved with The Sewing Club, with and are completing degrees. They say they would not have considered this without The Sewing Club. One lady in her 60s started her own catering business as a result of baking cakes to sell in the sewing club. Other ladies are now selling their handmade crafts, using new skills they have learned at the club. Most recently, the Club has been asked to work with an organisation in Hull to support the development of a similar project North of the Humber.
Rosemary Toyne My testimonial October 2016
My name is Rosemary and I am 33 years old, I have a keen interest in sewing and was extremely happy when at last I found a sewing club in Cleethorpes. I also told my mum and my sister in law about the sewing club Port Restyle and soon we headed off to the Cleethorpes Thursday morning group at St Peters church hall. I was extremely shy when I first came along to the group, 2 years previous me and my children had fled from domestic abuse which had an impact upon my mental health. My children too suffered as a result of what they heard, I became quite isolated as a result, and I became reclusive and rarely went out anywhere. I liked to be referred to as a survivor and came through with the support of the sewing group. I was able to become less isolated and start rebuilding my life which was destroyed as a result of domestic abuse. I was able to make friends and also meet people who are like minded; I also was able to gain employment which has had a huge benefit to me and my children. I have been able to gain financial independence and I am able to provide for my family which when I am happy it gives my children confidence. I am very keen in vintage fashion and also am able to recreate fashions with the help of my mum who also attends the sewing club. My mum who has brought me and my brothers up is now able to follow her passion of sewing and other crafts, My mum has gone on to gain level 2 fashion and gained a distinction I am very proud of my mum. My sister in law who also attends the sewing club has also gained confidence with attending the sewing club; she was shy and barely interacted with any other adult and too had become isolated from bringing up young children. My sister in law is now able to have an interest and talk to others who share the same interests. We look forward to going every week it is part of our social life, I feel without the sewing club we would lose a big part in our local community, we have gained friends, learned new found skills and also able to use skills we have in helping others to develop skills. I also help with Friday morning group at open door, I support an adult who has learning difficulties, and I find this highly rewarding to help someone to achieve things. It is more than just a sewing club it is helping others to achieve their goals. It is life changing attending here and I highly recommend it to others. Jane is brilliant and I thank Jane for setting up the sewing groups, she is an asset to our local community, Jane has helped others and made a difference to the community.