In Manchester, a city recently dubbed the world’s ‘fast-fashion capital’, Valery Touchet runs a sustainable fashion brand, VT creation.
“I’m trying to recycle so nothing goes to waste,” says Valery.
“I use what’s been used already to recreate and to give the old ones new life. … I do workshops as well, where I educate people how to use a sewing machine, and to create all these little things so that they don’t have to spend more money.”
Recent workshops have included a Japanese tie-dyeing technique called shibori, and an African prints upcycling workshop during Black History Month.
“I’m from Africa, Cameroon, and there we wear things like maxis and skirts, because of the weather. Then when we get here, it’s too cold, we can’t wear them. So we keep them in the wardrobe. So what I’m trying to do now is [show people how to] recycle African prints into things that we can wear here, instead of keeping them in the wardrobe.”
I met Valery at a marketplace event organised by Flourish, a community interest company dedicated to supporting women as a force for social change. The event was an opportunity for women changemakers who have engaged with Flourish’s ‘Time to Grow’ business support programme, myself among them, to connect, support and learn from one another.
Later in the day I spoke with Yolande Ghola, who founded Salford Community Upskilling earlier this year. Salford Community Upskilling provides training and support for migrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and others facing digital exclusion, who speak English as a second language.
“What inspired us to set up the organisation is that, we are French speaking people who came to England with no English at all, so we know the challenge of not speaking the language of the host country,” says Yolande.
In May, Salford Community Upskilling won funding at an event run by Manchester Social Economy Alliance (MSEA). Flourish is currently working as part of MSEA to help represent, celebrate and support Manchester’s social economy.
The social economy includes organisations that reinvest their profits to achieve a social or environmental mission – such as social enterprises, credit unions, and community benefit societies.
Women play a big part in the social economy. 58% of social enterprises are female-led, compared with 18% in the economy as a whole. Similarly, women hold CEO positions in 60% of British credit unions, compared with just 12% in the wider finance sector.
Through its various programmes, workshops, events and initiatives, Flourish aims to support these women to make the change they want to see in their communities across Greater Manchester, from sectors as varied as science, performing arts, digital services and holistic health.
The more people I met at the marketplace event, the more a common story emerged – of women identifying a need in their communities, often through direct experience, and taking it upon themselves not just to address that need for themselves, but for and with others around them, creating a ripple effect that benefits more and more people.
During a panel discussion on the day, Flourish’s enterprise and learning manager Ayisatu Emore, highlighted “the consistent thread of life experience being a massive motivator” for female changemakers, which she noted as “an incredible thing that seems to be quite unique to women-focused spaces – where you see a need within yourself, and it’s like, ‘OK, what would I have needed? What would I have benefited from?’”
Beyond that initial catalyst, women on the panel also spoke about what keeps them going. Karen Livesey, founder of No Whispers community interest company, which delivers training and awareness in child sexual exploitation, child criminal exploitation and county lines, shared some of the challenges she has faced on her journey.
“I’ve learned to be stronger in myself. Because a lot of people, when I look back, influenced the way that I behaved… There were people that made me feel rubbish, that affected my own self confidence and self esteem and mental health”, explains Karen.
But then, says Karen, “I got a letter from somebody. An A4 letter that [says], ‘you have no idea the impact you’ve had on my life’. Wow. And then I’m back.”
Similarly, Jennifer-Anne Smith, CEO of the drop-in support centre Salford Loaves and Fishes, said “once you see a difference, even a tiny difference, it eggs you on. And then before you know it, you’re doing lots”.
Jennifer-Anne’s first experience of community work was growing up in Salford, helping her mum, AKA ‘Mrs Christmas’, distribute donated presents to children in the area – an experience Ayisatu also related to.
Stories like this highlight the power of women simply witnessing other women carrying out this kind of work – which is something Flourish enables regularly through its activities and events.
Reflecting at the end of the day, Ayisatu said:
“The marketplace was a wonderful opportunity to really just gather the wide range of women that have engaged with the Time to Grow programmes.
“We wanted to put together a programme that could foster that community, that could be practical, but full of joy, full of opportunity for people to hear their own voices as well as hear from other people – and enjoy wonderful food, which is always a beneficial thing!
“I think we did quite nicely. It’s been an energetic day. It’s been an inspiring, inspired day.”
As well as events and support programmes, Flourish is working to create more opportunities for women in the social economy to gather and work alongside one another through its developing network of hubs, which utilises spaces in train station buildings around Greater Manchester.
“These hubs are in community settings where station buildings are going derelict”, explains Flourish co-founder Nickala Torkington.
The first Flourish hub launched in Heaton Chapel last year. Two rooms are now being opened up in Altrincham railway station, and a further space in Broadbottom train station is in the works.
“Those three should be our main hubs,” says Nickala, encouraging people who want to use the space to get in touch. “The principle is that we’re helping social enterprise collectives form to create new amenities and services in those areas.”
This fostering of collaboration and mutual support is something that can be seen across Flourish’s work.
It’s also echoed by those who have been part of their activities, such as the co-founder of wellbeing organisation Happy Me Community, Tik Pavion, who said: “We believe that if we work together… we can do so much more to help the community to be well,”
You can find out more about Flourish’s events, services and hubs at flourishtogether.org.uk
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All images: Alice-Toomer-McAlpine
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