A Community Interest Company in the North-East of England is launching its first fashion shop aimed solely at the fashion needs of Britain’s youth. ‘Labelled’ is the brain child of Gill Walker, a former children’s services worker, who has dedicated the last 12 months of her life to getting the initiative set up.
The idea is for Labelled to be operated by young volunteers in order for them to gain valuable experience working in a retail environment on either a full time or part time basis. Walker, who was recently made redundant herself, is hoping to convince the youth of the north-east that the future is not as bleak as it may seem and with the proper training they can go on to have a successful career.
Before opening their physical store, the company traded at festivals and markets around the country however they now have a permanent home in which to thrive. The ambition of Walker is not lost on the volunteers and the overall aim is to expand the Labelled brand and hopefully allow many more towns and cities to see the benefits of this Community Interest Company.
Furthermore, she is intending to bring out a book, entitled “Me, Marj and a Trestle Table – Conquering Social Enterprise”, in which she describes her awesome journey over the last year eventually culminating in the opening of the Labelled shop; not only does it serve as a reminder of the accomplishment but it will also demonstrate to others how through hard work and social enterprise a great deal can be achieved.
