On Saturday, 14th September Esme and Marcia were representing Fashion Enter Ltd / Fashion Technology Academy at the Hidden River Festival, a family-oriented day celebrating local culture, nature, arts, craft activities and local musicians in Woodberry Down.
The team were on hand to give advice on technical training and job opportunities within the garment manufacturing industry. Children and adults took part in our Design competition as well the ‘personalise your own clutch bag’ activity using crayons on bags made by our very own talented technician May.
The event generated a lot of interest in our weekday short courses, the three-day Saturday Stitching and Patterns class, our Level 3 Tailoring programmes as well as our Educational school visits.
Many organisations across the regeneration project were invited including Home Start London, a local community network of trained volunteers and expert support helping families with young children through their challenging times.
Charlotte Arnold Project Officer, Manor House Development Trust, said: “To our local organisations and charities, thank-you so much for being a part of this year’s Hidden River Festival! It was a wonderful day, and I am sure lots of people came away knowing more about their local community.”
Esme commented: “I am looking forward to finding out who this year’s design competition winners will be. This the second time Fashion Enter has been invited to attend and we are thankful for the invitation. The event was a true testament to its vibrant community and the many opportunities available to retrain, volunteer or get support. I met three former learners of the FTA with one due to return for our Stitching Academy Level 2 programme. I also met a lady who attended our Festival of Learning Open day back in July and will be joining our Perfect Patterns course this October!”
The Hidden River Festival is a collaborative effort with the aim to connect the various neighbourhoods that run through Hackney and Haringey along the river’s banks giving local people a chance to enjoy a mix of live music, food stalls, art and fun for all the family.
Organised by the regeneration partnership at Woodberry Down including Manor House Development Trust, the Woodberry Down Community Organisation, the London Borough of Hackney, Genesis Housing and Berkeley Homes, the event is attended by hundreds of Woodberry Down residents, with visitors from other areas of London bringing the total attendance to over 2,000 people each year. Volunteers from the immediate community are involved in all parts of the festival, ensuring its success.