Scotland’s Green Libraries Grant Fund report – Threads of Change, West Dunbartonshire Libraries
Category: #CILIPSGoGreen, Blog
With Scotland’s Green Libraries Grant Fund successful projects for 2025-26 soon to be announced, be inspired by what can grow thanks to this brilliant blog post from 2024-25 recipients, West Dunbartonshire Libraries.
Written by Alison Crawford, Schools and Literacy Librarian and Project Lead for Threads of Change: Making a difference one stitch at a time.
Introduction
This project brings together three main threads: lifelong skills for children & young people; environmental action via increasing clothing’s lifecycle and the reduction in fast fashion purchases; and community skill sharing where members of the public can borrow our resources to repair, mend and create using sewing and textiles. It also exemplifies the ethos of sustainability which is at the heart of our practice.
Amy Lyons, Project Deliverer
They say that inspiration can strike anywhere, at any time, and a presentation on the Green Libraries Scotland Grant Fund at CILIPS24 provided just such inspiration for two WDC Library & Information Officers. On the train journey home from Dundee, a seed was sown that soon turned into an ongoing project looking at ways to inform, inspire, and engage with young people in West Dunbartonshire. Amy, keen member of WDC Libraries’ Green Team, and Suzie, enthusiastic advocate for the importance of sewing and clothing repair, together formed the basis of what would become Threads of Change: Making a difference one stitch at a time.
Aims
The project began with two central aims:
- To teach both hand and machine sewing skills through a series of one-off workshops for 8 to 12 year olds throughout the year. These sessions had the intention of engaging children and bringing attention to how these skills can be used for environmental action.
- To host skill progression sewing workshops in 4 month blocks for young people aged 12 – 18, to provide the skills necessary to alter, repair, mend, and customise their own clothing.
Furthermore, we wanted to highlight the environmental impact of the fashion industry in ways that were relevant and understandable to the young people involved, through research and informal discussion. It was important to us that they recognised their ability to make positive and deliberate sustainable changes to their own lives, those of their families, and of their communities.
According to The Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation, West Dunbartonshire contains 48 data zones that are amongst the most deprived 20% in Scotland, with over 4,500 children living in poverty. A key aim of Threads of Change was to tackle climate inequality and empower such young people to learn new skills which have the potential to enhance the quality of their lives in a very real way. The project provided a unique opportunity as currently nowhere else in the local area teaches sewing, repair, and customisation skills to young people. Any similar opportunities available would require travel outwith the area, and payment, so we wanted to offer a free alternative right on the doorstep. Besides the central aims of the project, we also wanted to help develop self-reliance and confidence, celebrate and encourage creativity and show practical ways to save money.
Outcomes
From July 2024 to April 2025, 12 workshops were delivered to young people aged eight to twelve years in Dalmuir library, led and managed by Suzie and Amy. These sessions taught basic machine and hand sewing skills, with some progression to more difficult techniques. In keeping with our sustainability aims we asked our local communities via social media and word of mouth for donations of preloved material, threads, and other sewing equipment, and were inundated with contributions. This enabled us to hit the ground running once our sewing machines had been purchased and run sessions which included: learning embroidery techniques, making tote bags, Christmas stockings, pencil cases, and an elasticated waist skirt, and customising each of these using various sewing skills. As part of our commitment to providing practical items to help with the difficulties often associated with winter fuel costs, the young people also made hot water bottle covers and fleece beanie hats.
Each session was stand alone, apart from one progression tutorial, which meant that we often had different young people attending each workshop. This allowed Suzie to introduce, or reinforce, basic rules, skills, and ways to use the machines at the start of each session, which feedback told us was very helpful for the participants. The response to the classes was overwhelmingly positive, from both the young people and from their parents or guardians.
I enjoyed learning how to use the sewing machines, and making a tote bag. And Suzie was a great help taking us through each step and making sure each person got time to understand each step of the way
Zita Rose, participant
As well as finding the sessions enjoyable, the young people reported increased confidence, and were vocal about sharing the pride in their achievements.
I cannot tell you how delighted my 9 year old daughter is coming to these classes. She has learned new skills and is so pleased with her creations. Her confidence has grown and she really looks forward to new classes.
Parent of participant
We strove to make the workshops inclusive, and had participants taking part who had varying additional support needs. We ensured that classes had limited spaces to allow plenty of one-to-one time with Suzie, and that all equipment was suitable for use.
I had one child, who had an extensive list of additional needs including autism and partial blindness, come along and make a tote bag. Her mum was almost in tears as she didn’t think it was something she could have coped with or have the ability to do. It boosted the girl’s confidence, and mine too.
Suzie, Project Deliverer
During each workshop, Suzie and Amy spoke with the young people leading an informal discussion on the impact of the fashion industry on the environment. These conversations also fed into mood boards which were created and developed throughout the project, and were permanently displayed in the library, not only during the workshops. This led to members of the public viewing the mood boards, reading the information on them and asking questions about them to library staff. This in turn often led to interesting and impromptu chats between people who were not part of the project, but who were intrigued by the subject. We found this soft approach actually provided some great discussions around the topic of sustainability and fast fashion, and of the libraries’ role in sharing this message.
At the start of 2025, Threads of Change made its way to Clydebank High School where six workshops were offered to students from S1-S6. These included: an embroidery session; sewing machine basics and making a tote bag; creating a cushion cover, and a general customization session using currently owned clothing. In general, the young people involved in these sessions didn’t need as much assistance once they had picked up the basics, and were able to create some beautiful pieces in the reasonably short time frame. Feedback from the high school progression workshops was again hugely encouraging, with both participants and staff commenting on improvements in confidence and creativity, the importance of learning such skills (as sewing is no longer taught as part of Home Economics in the school), and increased engagement with environmental issues. The students involved really enjoyed learning about the impact of fast fashion, and how easy it is to become more sustainable in their fashion choices.
To mark the end of the project we held a Celebration Event in the library and invited all the participants and their families to come along and view some of the final pieces, as well as a photographic journey of the skills they had learned. Speaking with the young people and their parents, grandparents, and siblings at this event highlighted just how engaged they were with sewing and repair, and environmental concerns in general. Some of the older generations were delighted that techniques they had been taught as children, but had been bypassed their own children, were now being learned by their grandchildren.
Wider Reach
Threads of Change has been a joy to run over the past year, and we have been overwhelmed by the positive feedback and interest that it has created, both from those participating and their families, and beyond the threshold of our library buildings. Amy and Suzie were nominated for a ‘Trailblazers’ Award in West Dunbartonshire Council’s Achieve Awards which was presented by the Chief Executive of the Council. This allowed us to highlight to the wider council the work on green issues that our libraries are undertaking, our Climate Action Plan, and the commitment of our Green Team to advocate for and deliver sustainable projects. Being part of the Awards also enabled us to showcase the project and our wider sustainability aims to the general public, via council led promotion streams.
Amy and Suzie were delighted to be invited to speak of their experiences with Threads of Change at CILIPS25, in a panel event alongside North Lanarkshire Libraries. Feedback from attendees of the panel was hugely positive, with insights being shared, and links with other authorities being made. The flexibility of the project, where it can act as a mini, portable Lend & Mend type activity, was of great interest particularly to library services who are not able to commit the space or staffing potentially required for a Mend & Lend hub. Being able to share our project journey with our peers has been a hugely affirmative process.
What’s Next…?
Building sustainability into the project itself was important to us from the outset. We wanted to ensure that the equipment and materials we purchased using the Fund would be used across our branches, and to encourage varying demographics to use the library. We will continue to run children’s sewing workshops as part of our summer programme, during school holidays and at various stages throughout the year. We also hope to start adult workshops for beginners and for those with experience. Flexibility is key, so we hope to run the Threads of Change project across most if not all of our branches on a rolling schedule, ensuring that location isn’t a barrier to taking part. We also hope to develop greater partnership working with local community groups to expand the current programme such as practical sewing and repair classes for men with the Men’s Shed in Dalmuir.
The funding provided by the Green Libraries Scotland Grant enabled us to purchase the high quality, practical, durable equipment required to start up this project. It is important to note that Threads of Change was conceived, planned, and executed by passionate frontline library staff with a commitment towards sustainability. By developing our partnership working and continuing to engage with our communities we hope to bring the same joy, passion, and learning to as many people across West Dunbartonshire as possible.
