- Published
A clothing charity has helped save thousands of brand new coats, fleeces and other garments from going to landfill by removing company branding and donating them to people in need.
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charity → publish → need
Dressability in Swindon said demand for its clothing rebranding project has grown rapidly, with more than 1,000 items now altered and distributed every year.
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items → say → project
Initially the clothing was donated to organisations in Swindon and Wiltshire, but growing volumes mean items are now being sent as far away as Liverpool and Ukraine.
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items → donate → Liverpool
"We get a brand new coat for example that can be worth up to £100 and people in need, such as the homeless, can benefit," said general manager Sharon Tombs.
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Tombs → get → homeless
It kept me warm and dry'
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It → keep → me
One charity that benefits is the Swindon Night Shelter.
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that → benefit → ?
Patrick Lewis volunteers there after using the shelter himself when he was homeless.
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he → volunteer → shelter
He remembers receiving one of the coats from the project.
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He → remember → project
"It was really nice," said Lewis.
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Lewis → say → ?
"It kept me warm and dry during the winter period.
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It → keep → period
"I wasn't expecting something like that and I really needed it because when I was homeless I lost all my things, everything.
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I → expect → things
"It's been excellent having the coats," said Dawn Prosser, manager of the Swindon night shelter.
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Prosser → have → shelter
"When we show people and ask which size they need, they can't believe how good the coat is and we say that's what we want, to show you there's a way forward and to give you the best that we can really.
"It's gives people self esteem as well as keeping them warm and dry," she said.
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she → show → them
How unwanted clothing gets a second life
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clothing → get → life
Dressability mainly alters clothing for people with disabilities, but launched its rebranding project after receiving coats that would otherwise have gone to waste.
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that → alter → waste
"We started the rebranding project after getting a delivery of coats from a company that ceased trading," said Tombs.
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Tombs → start → company
"I was concerned that we were throwing away brand new coats, so we sensitively patched and improved them, covering the branding, and the project went from there.
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project → concern → branding
Once altered, the clothing is then donated to people in need.
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clothing → alter → need
"Plus it's about sustainability, because our work prevents these items from going to landfill," said Tombs.
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Tombs → prevent → landfill
One company that supplies garments is Osnic Embroidery in Weston-super-Mare, which produces clothing with bespoke logos for businesses.
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which → supply → businesses
But as Michael Osmond from the company explained, surplus stock is often left over.
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stock → explain → company
"You've got spare garments because companies change their logos or they have discontinued items, sometimes a needle breaks in the machine and the logo is ruined and you can't sell it," he said.
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he → get → it
"We have coats, fleeces, t-shirts, even shorts and trousers.
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We → have → coats
"
Instead of being thrown away, the items are sent to Dressability, where logos and branding are covered or removed before the clothes can be used again.
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clothes → throw → Dressability
Dressability said it is now getting five calls a week from companies looking to donate clothing.
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it → say → clothing
The charity is already distributing more than 1,000 items a year, with numbers continuing to rise.
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numbers → distribute → items
To help meet growing demand, it is appealing for local sewing groups to volunteer their time and skills so more unwanted clothing can be given a second life rather than ending up in landfill.
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clothing → help → landfill
The Aporia
