At St Nathanael’s Church in Fazakerley, Opening Doors’ Recycle, Reuse & Renew sewing group is bringing people together through creativity, helping to reduce isolation, build confidence and support wellbeing.
Using donated fabrics that might otherwise go to landfill, the group makes everything from bags and decorations to draught excluders. But the benefits go beyond sewing, offering people a welcoming space to make friends, share skills and feel part of a community.
“It’s given me so much pride back in myself”
For one participant, the group has helped rebuild confidence after a period of isolation and made it easier to connect with others. Over time, the sessions have become an opportunity to chat, share ideas and create something together. She said: “Everyone here is become a friend,” adding: “This has given me that connection back with people again.”
Another participant, who described feeling isolated at home and experiencing depression, explained how the group has helped their mood and given them a reason to get out and meet people. She said: “I can just come and it cheers me up. It does affect my mood and it cheers me up.”
Reducing isolation and building connections
Opening Doors founder Gayle McCrieth explained how the group combines environmental benefits with opportunities for people to connect.
“At this project, what we do is we take fabrics, a lot of the fabrics have been donated to us, to stop it from going to landfill. The fabrics are taken and the lovely June who coordinates the sessions works with the group um and they make various things. It actually reduces isolation, loneliness, it builds connectivity, it builds capacity. They all look forward to coming each week just to see each other.”
Opening Doors is a charity based at St Nathanael’s Church, offering activities throughout the week alongside shared meals and opportunities to connect. Its work also includes the Movement for All project, supporting people’s health and wellbeing in different ways.
Opening the doors to the community
The sewing group is also a way for the church to build relationships with people who might not otherwise attend a Sunday service.
Vicar at St Nathanael’s Church, Rev Jean Flood, said: “It opens the doors to church for lots of people in the community. They don’t necessarily come on a Sunday, but they know that we’re here for them in lots of different ways.
“I get to know them, when I come to groups like this, and they ask me for a prayer… It’s a ministry. It adds to the whole ministry of the church.”
Through Recycle, Reuse & Renew, Opening Doors and St Nathanael’s Church are showing how a simple weekly activity can give donated materials a new lease of life while helping people feel less alone, build friendships and strengthen connections across the local community.
