Hackney caregivers praise ‘empowering’ council-backed sewing scheme

Make and Mend graduates at the Pembury Centre. Photograph: Peabody Community Foundation

Hackney Council has praised the success of an “empowering” sewing programme designed to strengthen local women’s financial independence and help them “weather the cost-of-living crisis”.

Social enterprise Kundakala, founded during the pandemic, recently showcased the handiwork of 10 ethnic minority women who took part in its six-month ‘Make and Mend’ course at the Pembury Community Centre.

The graduates were given sewing machine training to create “sustainable, culture-specific clothing” impossible to find in mainstream shops, from bespoke tote bags and purses to dresses, blouses and trousers.

One participant, Esther, harnessed her newfound skills to fashion garments inspired by her home country of Nigeria.

Her fellow graduate Patricia said she was “so pleased” to have finally got onto the course, having missed out last year due to it being fully booked.

All of the participants are primary caregivers unable to work outside their home, with some possessing no formal education.

Kundakala’s CEO Poornima Kirloskar-Saini named her business in the memory of her late mother, the Indian artist Kunda Kirloskar.

She was delighted that the cohort of women can now “save money and reduce debt by altering and repairing their own clothes and those of their families”.

First to showcase her work was Kerril, who came dressed to match the tote bag she’d created. Photograph: Peabody

Alongside the sewing workshop, the enterprise works to boost its trainees’ financial independence through business enterprise skills training.

Some graduates have gone on to create micro-businesses or join the organisation’s online marketplace, Kundakala Collective.

Following the completion of the half-year course, participants were also invited to the social enterprise’s advanced ‘alterations and upcycling’ programme, where, under the supervision of a tailoring tutor, they make products from fabrics such as sarees, which they then donate to the organisation.

Hackney’s cabinet member for employment, human resources and equalities, Carole Williams, said the council was “so proud” to have part-funded the initative.

“This project not only empowers women but also contributes to the circular economy by promoting sustainable practices like mending and reusing textiles.

“I am delighted to see the current cohort have graduated from the Make and Mend programme and look forward to seeing how they progress with their new found skills and passion,” she said.

Kundakala has also been supported by its long-standing housing association partner, Peabody Community Foundation, to deliver classes in Hackney’s Pembury Centre and also in Lambeth.

Growing waiting lists for the sewing scheme in recent years have prompted plans to expand into Islington.

The social enterprise has also been awarded a cabin at the Winter by the River market at Hays Galleria in Southwark, which runs until 5 January 2025.