Textile ResQ is searching for a new workshop where volunteers can continue repairing and upcycling unsold clothing and fabric to keep them out of landfill.
For the past three years, the not-for-profit collective has run its workshop in a Stoke industrial estate building at token rent, but its lease runs out in December and member Sylvia Huxtable says it needs to find a new home soon.
She says a shared space would help keep costs down and it needs to be well-lit for the volunteers who use the numerous sewing machines and overlockers that bring new life to discarded clothing, blankets and anything made of natural fibre.
“Our ideal would be finding someone who loves what we do and offers us reduced rent to support us. But that’s also a dream!”
The collective works under the umbrella of the Nelson Environment Centre to help reduce landfill and partners with Nelson Tasman Hospice by collecting unsold clothing and fabric, upcycling them and returning the finished items for resale.
While many on its volunteer list pick up items of clothing and fabric to work on at home, others meet through the week at the workshop, where using the equipment has also become a social occasion.
“It’s become a social space where people connect with others and form friendships. We make everything from dog toys and bags to clothing. We get a ton of denim! Everything goes back to the hospice shop and we receive 30 per cent of the sale price so we can keep the lights on.”
The collective also runs low-cost public workshops on clothing repairs and creative fabric crafts, as well as education on textile waste and fast fashion, while its work with schools and groups promotes creative uses for clothing and fabric.
Sylvia says the main goal of the collective is to change the culture of fast fashion and its detrimental effect on the environment.
