Just something so simple as one of these cuddly toys puts the biggest smile on the children’s face’s, which is very satisfying for us! Verna MacNaughton, a networker for the Kenya Acorn Project said “They love the bright colours and the novelty of the toys, so they come into the health centres,”.

We hope that the children of Kenya love the cuddly toys and our fantastic material and we will continue to donate our left over materials to more good causes in the future!

For the full story, please click here.

In just over two years we have had orders from all over the world for more than 15,000 suits.

As a result of this success a growing number of offcuts are left behind each week.  Now we are offering bags of brightly coloured material to schools, community groups and charities through the new “All-in-One Company Waste Not Campaign”.

Because of the range of all-in-one suits we make, we have material of every colour and pattern imaginable.  Schools and groups who have received our offcuts have put them to very good use.

Bags have already gone to a number of good homes, including Goosehill County First School, Chantry Middle and King Edward VIl schools in Morpeth;  West Sleekburn Middle School, Ringway First School, Bedlington High School, The Dales School in Blyth, Grove Special School in Berwick, Blyth Community College, Ellington and Linton First Schools, the William Leech Campus in Lynemouth, Bothal and Hirst Park Middle schools in Ashington, John Ambulance Day Care Centre in Ashington, Chester Court Care Home, Bedlington, The People’s Animal Rescue and Rehoming Team in Amble, PAWS (People’s Animal Welfare Service) in Bedlington and Northern English Springer Spaniel Rescue in Red Row.

It’s also a way of saying thank you to our local customers who have been so supportive of The All-in-One Company.

As part of our plans for 2011 we are also expanding our team.  We are looking to appoint a new member of staff to work in customer services.  They should be caring and kind, organised and have an excellent telephone manner. Hours of work would be 9am to 3pm Monday to Thursday and 9am to 12pm on Friday. The salary is negotiable for the right person.

Whoever is appointed will join a business which is not only a success story but also makes the headlines.  In 2010 we received orders to make sleep suits for the X Factor finalists, Celebrity Big Brother and musician Dame Evelyn Glennie -  to keep her warm on a charity climb of Mount Kilimanjaro.  We also provided all-in-ones for some of the UK’s biggest TV and radio stars after being approached by the promoters of the Hollywood film Where the Wild Things Are.

And already in 2011 we have been contacted by other household names.  We cannot say who at the moment, but it’s very exciting.  Put it this way, they are definitely in need of an All-in-One suit to keep them nice and warm.  Watch this space.

If you are interested in having a bag of offcuts or want to apply for the customers services position ring Kate on 01670 522478 or e-mail info@the-all-in-one-company.co.uk.

Here are the images of Dame Evelyn Glennie and her Business Adviser Brenda Gillian, when they reached the summit of mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa at 5,895 metres or 19,341 ft above sea level. Both ladies had been keeping warm with our all in one sleepsuits proving that they work in even the most extreme conditions!

Here are the comments that we received from the adventurers who were glad they had their super warm sleepsuits to stave off the sub zero night-time temperatures.

Dame Evelyn Glennie

“The All in One sleep suit is the most comfortable, warm and cosy outfit I have ever worn. I recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro where the evening temperatures can fall as low as minus 25 degrees and I have never been so grateful to have such a useful item of clothing in my luggage –  it was certainly the envy of the other team members!”

Brenda Gillian

“As Business Adviser to Dame Evelyn Glennie I too had the luxury of an All in One Sleep suit as we climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. When the temperatures dropped my sleep suit kept me as warm as toast and absolutely no problems with late night calls of nature – Thank you All in One!”

We received some great feedback from the school and below are some the comments from the pupils.

“Instead of a hole in the ground being filled, a hole in someone’s heart has been filled.” Olivia Taylor

“We have learned new skills and teamwork and have had fun at the same time” Charley and Louise

“Thanks for making this project happen” Ross T

“Thanks for the material for the giraffes” Thomas B

Initially the fleece fabric off-cuts were to be made into hats by the year 8 pupils. The fabulous colours and patterns are bang up to date and appealing, which encourages pupils to want to use them.

I thought that some off-cuts were large enough to make soft toys with and searched out a 70’s pattern, with 4 pieces and no gussets, to make up as a giraffe. A first pass was made to decide whether the pupils could manage the work, and to my delight some of the children spotted the finished giraffe on a bench.  It was love at first sight! In no time at all a class asked if they too could make giraffes. Initially they were going to be for themselves, but then the tragic events in Haiti unfolded. Money raising events took place in school but some of the class thought that all the money in the world could not replace a hug from a lost parent. The class wanted the orphans of Haiti to have a giraffe to cuddle. Through the off-cut fleece fabric we are able to send many giraffe cuddles to the children in Haiti with our love.

It has been decided to continue making giraffes, all of which will be sold to support charities. The next big push will be for Children In Need, it will probably be the first time that giraffes and a bear get along!

Through the gift of fleece off-cuts we have had a unique opportunity to help people we will probably never meet. To learn at first hand about the teamwork in a factory, skills, deadlines, marketing and costing. To think about the world beyond the town where we live.

With the smaller pieces of fabric we can make ‘Frog Beanbags’ in year 6. The smallest pieces are used to make ‘Clippy Mats’, this keeps alive the technique and domestic history of our area as well as affording a bit of time in the day to sit down together for a good ‘natter’!