In our series of local sustainability champions, we caught up with Win the Volunteer and Textile Reuse Coordinator from Stitched Up Community Benefit Society, a small Not-for-Profit with the aim of inspiring action on sustainable fashion at their new location at Bridge 5 Mill, Manchester…


We’re Stitched Up Community Benefit Society, a small Not-for-Profit with the aim of inspiring action on sustainable fashion. We recently relocated from South Manchester to Ancoats, in Bridge 5 Mill (22A Beswick St, Manchester M4 7HR), where we run sewing workshops, mending socials as well as volunteer and textile reuse programmes.

We work with the local community to teach people about the environmental impact of the fashion industry and how to care for, mend and up-cycle their clothes. We also campaign for the rights of garment makers and for fast fashion companies to take accountability for their dangerous and damaging practices. Our aim is to lower the barrier of entry for these skills, by improving access; creating opportunities for people to take action on sustainable fashion in their own lives.

We’re always looking for passionate and enthusiastic volunteers to join our team. We need help with all sorts of things, from preparing for and assisting at workshops, events, sewing, sorting textile donations, campaigns, community projects and much more. You don’t have to be able to sew to volunteer with us, but it does help if you share our passion for sustainable fashion!

We run volunteering sessions every week at Bridge 5 Mill (alternating between sewing and non-sewing activities) as well as events such as Yard Sales (where we sell re-claimed fabric for £1) and Clothes Swaps (where you can refresh your wardrobe sustainably). Volunteering with us is a great way to meet like-minded people, learn new skills and make a difference.

Other than our regular volunteering activities we have a number of other projects going on at the moment which you can get involved with:

Boggart Hole Clough Repair Cafe, Blackley

We are establishing a new Repair Cafe in Lakeside Cafe in Boggart Hole Clough park. A Repair Cafe is a free monthly event, open to the public, where people meet to mend household items. We’re looking for volunteers to help run the event as well as anyone who has any mending skills (electronics, bicycles, sewing etc..). If you’d like to volunteer or find out more please get in touch!

Stretford Community Dye Garden

We are running regular gardening sessions preparing and planting our community dye garden in Victoria Park, Stretford as well as community outreach sessions, natural dyeing and monthly evening social sessions. Natural dyeing is using plants and flowers to add colour to fabrics, paper etc… You can find out more about the project and visit the project website here: https://stretfordcdg.wordpress.com/

MENDSDAY Clothes Repair Meet Up

Mendsday is a social meet-up, where you can fix your clothes in good company, making use of our beautiful space, sewing machine and equipment. It’s a chance to get through some of that mending pile, with support and encouragement from fellow menders. Tickets are available on a pay-what-you-can basis to make mending accessible to as many people as possible. Book here: https://bookwhen.com/stitchedup#focus=ev-sp0h-20250126100000

If you’d like more information or to join us please get in touch: hello@stitchedup.coop

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