It started with just two volunteers, and has grown to a beloved Saturday morning tradition.
Every week, locals come to a friendly clothes swap hosted by St Andrew’s Church in Thornhill Square. They can bring their own clothes, books and toys to be rehomed, and browse for new pre-loved favourites. The books and toys were a spin-off which have grown into a swap in its own right. The team behind the event estimate over 40kg of clothes have been swapped between members of the local community. A further 900kg of leftover donations have been passed on to charity.
The clothes swap has been a success for locals. At the Barnsbury Family Fair in June over 300 people visited the church in one day and hundreds of clothing items were taken. As well as being an eco-friendly way for people to pass on pre-loved clothes and expand their wardrobes free of fast fashion, it offers a fun social opportunity for the community to come together on the weekend. Volunteers have started offering homemade refreshments and kids’ crafts.
Lis Howell and Chanel Georgio are two of the founding volunteers. Though managing the event is no mean feat, they say the volunteers enjoy helping out and find it a great opportunity to stay connected. Two-hour sorting sessions on a Tuesday are a relaxed activity accessible to all who want to lend a hand.
Lis said: "It can be fascinating sorting the clothes and so many of the items have a story to tell. We pass clothes on to the Manna Project, Smart Works, Islington Refugee and Migrants, Choices and Traid as well. What makes us really different is our St Andew’s Undercover project where we ask for new underwear, or good-as-new underwear which we wash and make impeccable. There is a real need for this, and it’s something other clothes projects don’t do."
Chanel said: "It has grown beyond our wildest dreams. We get some beautiful items donated and we have a special ‘Pick of the Week’ rail. The church congregation, the nursery school which uses the church in the week, and just passing members of the community, have made a fantastic contribution."
As the project grows, Chanel, Lis and team are setting their sights even higher. They’ve secured funding through the North London Community Fund, run by the North London Waste Authority to support community-based waste reduction initiatives. This funding will allow the team at St Andrew’s to improve their space, with new clothing racks and better storage. By the end of the year, they’re hoping to beat their own record and donate 1000kg of clothing to charity.
If you’d like to come along to a clothes swap, the event at St Andrew’s is held from 11am to 1pm every Saturday morning. You would be really welcome and you never know which fashion item you might find to be your new favourite!
