Strengthening the Fabric of Community

Photos by Amy McAvoy

Wesley Hall Community Centre is a hub for social engagement and educational support in Leicester. Amy McAvoy is a community engagement officer, working within Wesley Hall managing a range of fashion, sustainability and community projects, including facilitating weekly 'Mindful Mending', encouraging participants to slow down, connect, and repair their clothes. It’s all about keeping garments in use, reducing waste and creating space for creativity and connection, as well as potential job opportunities in clothing repair.

Safia: Why did you choose to work with Indilisi fabrics?

Amy (middle): I have followed Safia’s work for many years and was a huge fan of her pioneering ethical fashion brand, People Tree. I was excited to see these beautiful, environmentally friendly fabrics at such good price points and thought it would be great to promote the benefits and share these fabrics with people in our regular sewing classes.

Safia: How did you find working with these fabrics?

Amy: The fabric was a joy to work with and very easy to sew. The organic cotton seersucker is so lightweight and breathable and lovely to wear, especially in the recent heat. I like that the organic cotton has no harmful chemicals and feels comfortable next to the skin. The Tencel denim also has a great hand-feel, drapes beautifully and I love the fact that it is made from eucalyptus

Safia: Why is sewing something you enjoy?

Amy: For me, sewing is like meditation. I find it calming and relaxing. Constructing a garment requires a lot of concentration, so it keeps me in the moment. I also love how rewarding it is to have something in your mind and then see it come to life.

Safia: What’s the Leicester manufacturing scene like these days?

Amy: Despite off-shoring of garment production in recent years, there are many stakeholders who see the benefits of local manufacturing from an environmental and transparency perspective, so there is hard work being done to revive the industry here and showcase the innovative businesses and talented individuals creating garments, both on the factory floor, in creative design studios and as independent tailors.
Safia: What’s your vision for the fashion industry?

Amy: It would be great to see Leicester become a hub for locally grown regenerative fabrics, real transparency, circular systems and ethical production. I’d like to see a post-growth industry where environmentally friendly garments made in fair working conditions are both desirable and accessible, and we all buy less, wear things for longer, and customise or reinvent the same items for newness.

Safia: What needs to change to make that happen? 

Amy: I believe meaningful investment is needed in regenerative materials, recycling infrastructure, repair, up-cycling and rental services, and clear, trusted certifications to support ethical production. Brands and suppliers need to work as equal partners in long-term relationships, and collaborate with industry stakeholders, including NGOs, workers and their representatives to implement solutions. I believe we need government policy that rewards responsible business practices, penalises harmful ones and helps raise public awareness of fashion’s social and environmental impacts and the benefits of good practice. A dedicated Garment Trade Adjudicator - similar to the UK’s Groceries Code Adjudicator - could help oversee fairness in supply chains and support industry accountability.

Safia: What’s your next sewing project and which of the Indilisi fabrics will you be making it from? 

Amy: Honestly, I very rarely make time to sew for myself nowadays, but this project has reignited my love of sewing and I am keen to make a pair of wide leg trousers in the Tencel denim like Nafisa’s, so I will put that on my to do list. Thank you for inspiring me!

Nargis Issa: I’ve been sewing since I was 12. Over the years I’ve done many courses the last one being HND in Design & Manufacture at DeMontfort University. I worked as a technician in the Fashion Technology Dept. I really enjoy creating designs & sewing. It’s my passion that keeps me going through all ups & downs of life.

Now that I’m retired I still like to carry on & be with like-minded people, attending Mindful Mending sewing classes at Wesley Hall Community Centre where we do projects like repairing & restyling clothes to reduce waste.

I thought it would be good to make something for a child, using the organic cotton seersucker as it is lightweight, breathable & comfortable with no harmful chemicals. I made this smocked sun dress for my little great granddaughter. It was very easy to work with the fabric & I thoroughly enjoyed making this dress. The smocking & hand embroidery part was a long process, but I’m very happy with the finished result.

It would be good to see more companies following Indilisi in sourcing environmentally friendly fabrics and making garments in fair & ethical working conditions available to all. We should buy less & wear garments for a longer time & re-design our clothes when bored with them to make them last longer.

I believe everyone should come together & work towards making our world better through implementing ethical and environmental practices & solutions. We need infrastructure for recycling, repairing & up-cycling. So much more can be done in the fashion industry by raising awareness of responsible practices.

Sangitaben Patel: Sewing is my hobby and my profession. My father taught me from the age of 15 and I have worked as a professional tailor for 25 years. In India, I ran a fabric shop and taught people how to sew three times a week. When I first moved to England in 2002, I worked as a sample machinist and supervisor for 5 years. I left because the factory closed and so then I started my own tailoring business and I have been teaching sewing classes here at Wesley Hall Community Centre for 10 years. 

I love making handmade garments with-out a sewing machine (reducing energy use), and organic fabrics are great for hand sewing. I found the fabric nice to work with. It was easy to iron, stitch and fold. It feels nice and was nice to hem. It was also easy to operate on the machine. Yes, I was happy with my finished work.

These days there are no factories running in Leicester. When I came from India, there were lots of factories here, but the labour cost is very high, so readymade garment manufacturing moved to other countries where the labour is cheap. Here it is too expensive.

My opinion is that when the industry works properly, people can have good jobs, so I would like to see manufacturing brought back to the UK. I’d like to see more businesses like Indilisi providing organic and ethical fabrics and working with independent tailors like me.

Makers featured:

Cashita Charles, Sangitaben Patel, Faatima, Nargis Issa, Faridabanu Limbada, Amina Seedat, Rehana Ajij, Jignisha Patel & Nafisa Shaikh.