DGT Fund is sew good for Walsall group

The One Love sewing group is based at the One Love Community Music and Arts Centre, just minutes from our Bloxwich Travel and Food stores.

The group was established in January 2022 when Lesley Rowley was looking for a local sewing group but struggled to find one. 

Bags made by the sewing group

If you can’t find it, build it

Lesley was looking at the activity programme in the window of the One Love centre one day and was just about to carry on walking when a volunteer came out to ask her if she needed any help.

Lesley told him that she was looking for a sewing club to join but that she couldn’t see any on their activity list. Much to her delight, the volunteer told her he knew of a couple of other people who had asked a similar question and suggested she might like to help set up a small group herself.

And that was it, Lesley started the club up with just one other person to begin with. The group now has a regular base of around 14 members who meet each week. The club offers a safe place where local people can learn a new skill or pass on a skill to others while making new friends. 

A fantastic sewn blanket

Doing Good Together

Being local Your Co-op members, people from the group spotted the Doing Good Together Fund on the members’ app and applied for it. They were thrilled to receive £500 in September to put towards equipment for their classes.

Lesley says, “I would just like to tell you how much we as a group appreciates the grant money supplied by Your Co-op. The grant has enabled us to buy a new sewing machine and a couple of good second-hand ones, as well as being used for machine maintenance and haberdashery equipment. The group consists of all ages and ethnicities who have formed a close friendly group – they all look forward to the sessions and we all have a laugh which benefits their mental health. The class really has flourished.”

We were also thrilled that Lesley was able to speak at a local members event at Walsall Town Centre store last month to share her story and encourage other members to use the fund. 

A hand sewn handbag!