Majida Sayam finds a Home for her Dressmaking Lessons
In 2010, Majida Sayam founded “Jannaty Women’s Social Society” in the UK “with a vision to empower women and girls from disadvantaged BAME backgrounds so that they can improve their quality of life and those around them.”
As part of the association’s activities, Majida has been training women in the art of sewing and knitting, with more than 30 years of experience.
Now, she gets a golden opportunity to continue holding her courses at affordable prices using advanced sewing machines that make a big difference to the quality of her girls’ education.
From parking lot to dream space
The abandoned garages of the Andover Estate are outfitted with the latest sewing machines and equipment to create a new workspace offering affordable clothing in the Finsbury Park. The Islington Council commissioned social enterprise Fashion-Enter to manage the space that was set up to host workshops, exhibitions and a training space for local designers. Talented craftsmen will now be able to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs.
Fashion Enter produces as many as 15,000 items of clothing per week, reported the Islington Gazette. It has a clientele that includes esteemed British companies such as “ASOS”, “Tesco F&F”, “Coast” and “Brora”. In this project, the foundation will provide guidance for new businesses, master classes and professional sewing courses. (anewcareer)
The workspaces have proved popular with local designers, including those who sell their designs at the nearby FC Designers’ Store on Fonthill Road. Opened last year, the Store aims to support local designers by providing a space to showcase and sell their work.
Now, FC Designers provides affordable workspaces and effective support to nurture local talent in various industry sectors, helping communities create their own fortunes, new jobs and a more sustainable future.
Jannaty Finds Support
One of FC’s beneficiaries is the women’s society “Jannaty”, which teaches its members various skills, the most important of which are sewing and making clothes. In the newly renovated workspace, “Jannaty” founder Majida Sayam will train local women to use sewing machines and make clothes professionally, according to the official website of Islington Council News.
Aside from teaching valuable skills that will them open up employment opportunities in the apparel industry, the women in Jannaty will upcycle unwanted, damaged clothes, curtains, and upholstery to make new clothes, pillows, and bags for sale, and keep textiles away from the landfills. The group will also produce 2,000 reusable cloth shopping bags for Islington food banks, reducing the use of environmentally harmful plastic bags.
Majida expressed her joy in the new workspace and the opportunities it represents, and she will be receiving additional training from Fashion Enter mentors.
Speaking to the council, she said: “This space is a dream for me, and the machines are everything we need. In our classes we always used domestic machines. Garments that used to take two days to complete will now take around an hour-and-a-half, so it is a big difference!”
Support from Officials
Asima Shaikh, Islington Council’s Executive Member, expressed optimism about the new project. She said: “I’m thrilled to open the FC Designer Workspace, which really is the beating heart of collaboration,” adding that it is “a ‘golden opportunity’ space where community talent and industry expertise can combine and produce amazing results – top-quality products from residents who have realized their potential and built bright business futures.”
At a workspace community launch on September 2nd, smiles filled the room as doors opened for the first time to welcome consultants, community groups, stakeholders, and the press. Among them prominent figures like Jeremy Corbyn.
According to Fashion Capital, Majida had the opportunity to exhibit at the event, and gave an lesson on the usage of industrial sewing machines.
Corbyn later tweeted his support for the space and praised its efforts to develop societal wealth backed by strong government support. In the tweet, he posted a picture of his participation in Majida’s lesson on sewing machines.
Great to attend the community launch of the Islington Council-funded new affordable workspace on the Andover Estate,
This is a brilliant example of community wealth building – with strong local government supporting jobs, plus community and worker-owned models of ownership. pic.twitter.com/ExHZ9qMMBs
— Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) September 3, 2021
Sources: Islington Council, Islington Gazette, Fashion Capital
All photographs seen in this article are credited to the Islington Council News Website.
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