In the press

2023

Premier Inn coronation robe coverage (April and May 2023):

2022

Paula on the BBC World Service World Business Report

She speaks with journalist Jonathan Kempster. Listen here.

October 2020

June 2020

ITV news: Curtain-making social enterprise switches to making 10,000 free face masks. 24 June 2020

Business Lancashire feature. 16 June 2020

Skem News – The Sewing Rooms pivots to face masks. 9 June 2020

Pick of the Month – Cause4 blog features The Sewing Rooms. 4 June 2020

Social Enterprise Solidarity in Lancashire – part five

January 2020

Growing Strong featured in The Champion

Our Growing Strong creative sewing sessions for expectant and new mums was recently covered by Lancashire’s The Champion!

December 2019

How 12 organisations are positively impacting lives across the UK

From Good Finance UK – From curtain makers to music producers, there’s an exciting range of individuals and organisations using creative and innovative solutions to drive social change across the UK. No doubt this is a sector continuing to grow.

A stitch in time – inside the Sewing Rooms – blog post by UnLtd

26 July 2018

UnLtd recently featured an update on the Sewing Rooms’ expansion to the South West. Through our Transform Ageing Project “Sewing Torbay Together,” led by the multi-talented Laura Scott, we are excited to be able to begin expanding our social impact across the country. Read the full article here.

The Sewing Rooms’ new partnership with Transform Ageing featured in the press

16 April 2018

A lovely article about our forthcoming work with the South West’s Transform Ageing organisation. We’re really looking forward to it.

The Sewing Rooms and Transform Ageing in the press

Maureen and Paula featured in the West Lancashire Borough Council’s “Let’s Talk Business” winter newsletter

12 February 2018

Lovely article from Well Skelmersdale about The Sewing Rooms’ goal to “Repair the fabric of society”

6 February 2018

We’re so pleased to be able to partner with inspiring, supportive organisations and programmes like Well North and Well Skelmersdale. Here is a short piece they posted about our work, and we’ll be writing more later this year about our plans for the exciting introduction of the School for Social Entrepreneurs to Skelmersdale. If you haven’t seen it yet, our talk at the Business Ambassadors event explains our ethos and approach.

Community banner project shows Skelmersdale is Sew Fabulous

2 November 2017

The Sewing Rooms, a partner in Well Skelmersdale, has received funding of £8,250 from The Big Lottery Fund to support a series of two hour ‘Skelmersdale Sew Fab Extravaganza Project’ events. These will be held in a variety of community venues and health centres across the town so that everyone who wants to participate can do so. People of all ages will be encouraged to sew a small leaf, flower, or letter made from fabric onto the main tapestry banner. Read the rest of the article on the Well North website.

Co-founder Paula Gamester shortlisted for Female Entrepreneur of the Year 2016

14 October 2016

The award is part of the Northern Enterprise Conference awards by SELNET – Social Enterprise Lancashire Network. “Although I didn’t win, I was absolutely delighted to have been nominated,” said Paula. “I had a wonderful night at the awards ceremony and it was great to meet lots of friends and colleagues whom I like and admire from the social enterprise sector.”

Repairing the fabric of society: The Sewing Rooms wins Best Community Enterprise 2014

6 October 2014

The Lancashire Community Recycling Network’s annual Red Rose Resource Awards have recognised The Sewing Rooms as 2014′s Best Community Enterprise. Maureen Fazal, Director of the Sewing Rooms, said, “We are absolutely delighted and will be investing the prize funds into purchasing new machinery and equipment for the soon-to-be launched Sewing Academy.” Read more >>>

The Sewing Rooms is a top-10 finalist in the annual Lloyds Bank Social Entrepreneurs of the Year competition

2014

The Sewing Rooms wins the Red Rose Resource Best New Social Enterprise

2013

The Sewing Rooms wins an UnLtd Level Two Award

2013

The Sewing Rooms’ founders featured in Yours magazine

January 2013

Co-founders Maureen Fazal and Paula Gamester were profiled by Yours in the January 2013 issue. The article covers Maureen’s and Paula’s backgrounds and shared passion for helping others while helping the environment. Read the article here >>>

The Sewing Rooms is 2012 NWDA Social Enterprise of the Year runner-up

2012

The Sewing Rooms Wins Best New Social Enterprise 2012

Saturday 6 October 2012

Congratulations to everyone involved in The Sewing Rooms who won ‘Best New Social Enterprise’ at the SELNET Awards. Celebrating the very best in social enterprise across Lancashire, the annual Selnet Enterprise In Society awards were staged at the fabulous Park Hall Hotel at Charnock Richard in the centre of the county. The glittering occasion sees social enterprises compete in a wide range of categories for the honour and pride of being recognised by their peers. Judges found it very difficult to separate entries and in some categories the winners were decided by single points on the scoring mechanism.

The Sewing Rooms wins an UnLtd Level One Award

2011