30 million tons of uniforms of employees in bags, clothes and blankets. This is what the Virgin Trains Railway Company promised to help people whose lives have derailed. Virgin Trains initiated a debt reduction initiative for prisoners.
This collaboration gives new life to our old uniforms and is a creative solution for zero zero waste to landfill, while supporting vulnerable people. Once completed, products are now banned at the Albert Kennedy Trust, which supports homeless LGBT youth in crisis, as well as HMP Askham Grange, a prison for women in North Yorkshire, and partner Rethink Mental Illness.

crédit:bigissue
Steven Goodacre, Director of Business Development at HMP Northumberland, added, « Not only is it great to give back to local and national charities for the homeless, but it’s also a great opportunity for our delinquents. » acquire new skills that reduce response time, while decreasing the likelihood of re-offending. «
Explaining the reason for the project, Jessica Kelly-Mckay, Uniform Delivery Manager of Virgin Trains East Coast, said in a statement: ‘We want our people to be able to express their own unique style and personality, and that’s why we’ve worked with them to create a new tailored wardrobe to fit every shape, size and gender.’
In an effort to achieve zero waste to landfill, the old Virgin Trains uniforms are being recycled into new items at HMP Northumberland. Ex-offenders will upcycle the old uniforms in the onsite textile factory, as part of a rehabilitation scheme that helps to prepare prisoners for life outside in an effort to reduce reoffending rates. The HMP Northumberland textiles team will use the uniforms to create new items such as blankets and coats, which will be donated to local homeless charity, The Albert Kennedy Trust which supports young LGBT homeless people in crisis. Virgin Trains’s charity partner, Rethink Mental Illness, will also benefit.
Source: bigissue