Suzanne Kelly on how the social enterprise is adapting to changing circumstances

There is a rising popularity in crafting and sewing, as demonstrated by programmes like The Great British Sewing Bee on BBC1, inspiring and entertaining every Tuesday evening.

So many more people are shunning fast fashion in favour of making and mending their own clothes, many examples of crochet are being incorporated into high street fashion, and people are realising the benefits.

At Stitch! we recently celebrated our fifth birthday, after first launching as a social enterprise in Palmers Green in 2019. Unfortunately, like so many organisations on the high street, the economics of the rent and bills of our fixed premises proved to be just too challenging.

Instead of running our shop, we have now mobilised our workshops and groups, taking them out to various local venues in the community. We want to work in community-oriented spaces, focusing on bringing creativity and socialisation to all generations.

We are supporting some brilliant local organisations and running workshops with their help, to inspire creativity, connect communities and power ideas. These include Arbeit Studios in Palmers Green, a space for artists, designers, makers, start-ups and small businesses, as well as newly-opened Firs Farm Community Hub in Winchmore Hill, which provides a special place with local community facilities available to hire.

Our popular ‘knit and natter’ classes are now running at My Time Café in Palmers Green, a specialist venue offering street food from South American and Caribbean cuisine. Our Stitch! knit social events, on Wednesday evenings, are now running at The Fox Pub, just up the road, while we are also hoping to run some workshops at the department store, Pearsons, in Enfield Town.

The benefits of crafting are wide-ranging, from boosting mood and improving self confidence, to reducing stress. Crafting can help bring people together in all sorts of ways. The skills practised boost cognitive powers and, in an age when our phones can sadly dominate our social circles, crafting takes us away from this reliance and increases our attention spans. What’s not to like?!

For more information about Stitch!:
Facebook @N13crafts
Instagram Stitch_N13
Visit stitch.org.uk/classes

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