Stamford sewing friends launch group to create Boomerang Bags for foodbank and to cut plastic bags
A group of friends who hit on an idea to help the environment and tackle food poverty are inviting the community to get involved.
Retired trio Sue Walmsley, Tish Davies and Claire Thorley have used their mutual love of needlework to create bespoke longlife ‘Boomerang Bags’ out of unwanted fabric.
The idea began in Australia as a way of reducing the amount of plastic bags, and the Stamford friends have taken it one step further.
The not-for-profit group are donating them to Stamford Foodbank and Second Helpings, a project which re-distributes short-dated supermarket food to the community.
“People were coming out of foodbanks with plastic bags so we approached them to see if they would like our bags and they said ‘yes please!’,” Tish explained.
“Not only do we make these bags, but we also carry them around because we don’t use plastic.”
The project has met with a good response elsewhere, with Ryhall Road Day Centre and Stamford Arts Centre both offering them meeting rooms free of charge.
Donations of fabric are also welcome.
“The community of Stamford has been amazing,” said Tish.
“We have already been offered a room at the day centre and arts centre for nothing.
“The day centre also gave us all of their old curtains. They have a thick cotton and are the best material.”
They began making the bags back early in 2020 and had planned then to broaden their small social gathering into a community group.
The pandemic halted their plans and they switched to the production of scrubs for the NHS.
Many of their scrub bags and masks were donated to Peterborough City Hospital.
Last week they decided to resurrect the idea and are inviting everyone - with no sewing skills necessary - to their first monthly session.
“People can come along to sew or just for a chat,” Tish added.
“It’s really just to give something back to the community and give people a chance to get out.”
It takes place at the Ryhall Road Day Centre, in Stamford, from 9.30am to 12.15pm on Tuesday, April 5.
Visitors are welcome to bring fabric, sewing machines and other equipment.
E-mail boomerang95163@gmail.com to donate unwanted fabric, or for more details about the group.
