Sewing Bees and Boxes Boost for Charities

Students at South Eastern Regional College (SERC) have been busy 'sewing bees' over the summer in a bid to support local and international charities.

Ten students from the Skills for your Life and Work Level 1 programme have been making dresses and shorts for Dress a Girl Around the World and Compassion Direct UK.  

Lecturer Wilma Davis said, “The students were excited to take up the challenge of learning to use a sewing machine and to cut out a pattern and fabric in order to make ‘pillowcase dresses’ and shorts.   As well as learning these new skills, they were very interested to learn about the situation in Rwanda and how their efforts would help support children living in areas of extreme poverty where many are not sent to school because they have no clothes to wear.”  

She added, “The students all liked the fact that the charities encourage recycling. The fabric was kindly donated by staff in SERC and by Action Cancer’s Charity Shop in Lisburn.

“In addition, twenty students chose to decorate and fill shoeboxes with basic hygiene products for homeless people which will be distributed by the People’s Kitchen in Belfast.”

Wilma concluded, “We are all very proud of what the students have achieved over the summer.   Their efforts will benefit people at home and abroad and support the work of local and national charities, and they have gained valuable new skills and understanding of the plight of others.”  

Pictured above: Pillowcase dresses made by  students from the Skills for your Life and Work for Dress a Girl Around the World and Compassion Direct UK.