‘It’s Vinted, but in real life’:the pre-loved buzz comes to Ullapool
Two Ullapool women have brought the Vinted buzz to life to bring people together and encourage a move away from fast fashion.
Catriona Scott, who works for Lochbroom and Ullapool Community Trust, and Evie Baker, founder of Ullapool Unpacked, will stage their fifth Re-love Clothing Fair this Friday and Saturday in Ullapool Village Hall, as part of the national Great Big Green Week.
The duo started running the fairs a year ago. The idea is that local people can give their pre-loved clothes a new lease of life, in a village where posting items can be difficult.
Subscribe to receive regular email newsletters
Catriona said: ‘We wanted to provide a platform where people don't have to package items and pay for postage as well as reducing the carbon footprint of that.
“So much is done online these days it's nice to be able offer an in-person experience, encouraging connection and helping to reduce social isolation.
“There’s a buzz about it and it brings together lots of different people, including people who maybe haven't considered shopping second hand before.”
A previous event in March had an outdoor theme, where items on offer included a kayak and wetsuits.
For each event the team set the village hall up in a boutique style with hot drinks and baking on offer.
“It’s a fun event,” Catriona added. “Everybody drops their items off in advance and we set it up like a boutique. We have had people coming along and getting really excited – there’s often people there encouraging others to try things on.”
The Re-loved Clothing Fair is made possible by funding from the Highland Community Waste Partnership, and is run jointly by Lochbroom and Ullapool Community Trust and Ullapool Unpacked.
People across the UK will be celebrating making small changes for the planet to mark Great Big Green Week, part of a month of activities organised by The Climate Coalition in the lead up to the General Election.
Helen Meech, executive director of The Climate Coalition, said: ‘Great Big Green Week is an opportunity for hundreds of thousands of people to share ideas on what we can all do to lead greener lives.
“It is also a reminder to politicians campaigning in the lead up to the General Election that public support for action is both massive and mainstream, and that the next government will be held to account to do more for climate and generations to come.”
