This Black History Month, we're celebrating the people whose creativity, dedication and community spirit are making a difference across north Manchester.
As part of this year's theme, 'Honouring Our Communities', we met Valery Touchet, founder of Swap & Sew CIC, a Manchester-based organisation bringing people together through sewing, sustainable fashion and creativity.
Swap & Sew helps people learn practical skills while reducing waste and building stronger communities. Through sewing workshops and clothes swaps, Valery encourages residents to give old clothes and textiles a new lease of life, whether that's mending a favourite item, altering clothes or transforming unwanted fabric into something completely new.
Having already taught sewing and upcycling skills to more than 100 people across Manchester, Valery is passionate about making these opportunities accessible to everyone, particularly those who might otherwise struggle with the cost of materials, equipment or classes.
But Swap & Sew is about much more than sewing. Its workshops provide a welcoming space for people to meet, share skills, build confidence and make new connections, helping to tackle social isolation while supporting people through the cost-of-living crisis.
Valery is now hoping to bring more of these opportunities to north Manchester through a programme of workshops at our White Moss Road community room. The project aims to teach residents how to use sewing machines, mend and alter clothes, and create useful items such as tote bags, cushion covers and blankets from donated and recycled materials.
Some of the finished items will also be donated to local people who need them, giving the project an even wider community benefit.
By combining creativity, sustainability and community support, Valery is showing how something as simple as a needle and thread can bring people together, help them save money and make a positive difference to the environment.
This Black History Month, we're proud to honour Valery and the work of Swap & Sew in helping communities become more connected, creative and sustainable.
