John Spence Community High School factory visit
Posted on: 12/06/2019
"We have spent a fabulous morning together today on our second meeting with the textile students from JohnSpence Community High School, this time at our factory in Ashington.
Jill Armstrong - the textiles teacher contacted me at the beginning of the year to invite me to the class to tell my story and to set the students a project. The project was to create something that was missing from their everyday lives, just as a Onesie was missing from our lives when my daughter Lilly was young.
The class came to our factory this morning to show me their ideas and to see our Create-your-Own Onesies being made. The level of detail that they had put into their ideas was very impressive and their range of ideas was amazing from jeans, to bags, beach towels and baby grows, all unique and all very good business and product ideas.
The students really liked meeting the staff and seeing Onesies being made, they learned about the different types of sewing machines and what each one was used for, they saw the master craftsmen at work making Onesies. They were able to talk to Trina, our head cutter, about her journey from school into the BTEC level 3 then on to the HND in fashion and textiles and her degree which took her to London for a year. We were also able to discuss the apprenticeships that we can offer.
It’s been a fun and informative morning, for all of us, and something that I really love to do.
Please spread the word, if you know of other schools in the area who may enjoy linking up for similar projects."