Add your style to charity shop chic for healthy hearts

The British Heart Foundation is encouraging shoppers to pop in and buy an item and add some style and flair to it as part of The Big Stitch campaign.

It was launched at the Palmerston Road shop in Southsea this week.

Preston Davies, the area manager for the BHF’s Southsea shop, said: ‘We want to see as many friends, families and individuals from Southsea getting crafty this July, while also helping us fund £500m of heart research in the next five years.’

It is hoped that this campaign will encourage people to pop into a BHF store to buy an item and the put their own stamp on it to help them stand out from the fashion crowd.

A recent study revealed that nearly 59 per cent of people said that they were unable to sew confidently or at all, and 57 per cent said sewing was a skill being lost in today’s throw-away society.

A quarter of those polled were unable to sew on a button properly, and 50 per cent were reported saying that they just get their parents to do any sewing for them, 37 per cent were unable to alter the length of their trousers and 25 per cent were unable to mend a rip in their clothes.

Mr Davies said these lost skills have resulted in Brits spending more than £2.5bn in fixing or tailoring costs and £3bn in replacing clothes due to an easily repairable fault.

About 260 million items of clothing were thrown or given away last year because of a repairable fault.

Mr Davies said: ‘The Big Stitch gives you the opportunity to either put into practice your sewing skills or learn how easy it is to incorporate small additions to create a wardrobe staple.

‘All you need to do is buy an item from the desirable items on offer in BHF shops and inject your own style stamp this July.’

Throughout July, residents are encouraged to tag their before and after pictures on the BHF Instagram, Twitter or on the BHF Facebook page with the hashtag #TheBigStitch.

Go to bhf.org.uk/TheBigStitch.