With £800 contribution from the Sir Timothy Brooks Fund, Falcon Support Services was able to fund equipment and materials for a project customising and de-branding counterfeit goods seized by trading standards. The project is designed to up-skill homeless, disadvantaged and unemployed people.
Dubbed MUTO, the project sees the counterfeit goods stripped of their branding and then rebranded with the name MUTO. Items include clothes, bags, shoes, makeup and more, which are then sold to the local community through a retail outlet on the High Street in Loughborough, and online or through pop up shops, stalls and house parties.
The project aims to upskill the most marginalised/disadvantaged people in the community by teaching them new textiles and social and business skills, to improve their self-esteem and confidence, provide positive activities and reduce isolation.
It also encourages members to make a positive contribution to their communities, and communities to get involved in the social enterprise – generating profits that will then be fed back to help the homeless in the local area.
Falcon Support Services is a homeless charity, providing support accommodation to those that are homeless or at risk of homelessness and delivering community projects/services to vulnerable or disadvantaged members of the community. Falcon Support Services and MUTO work in a deprived ward of Loughborough, Hastings Ward and have established relationships with disadvantaged groups and support agencies that may make use of this project.
In addition to support accommodation, Falcon Support services provides a Rough Sleeper Service, a Drop In Service, and one to one work with those who are moving on from Falcon into their own accommodation to support them in their transition.
If you’d like to talk about setting up a fund to help projects such as this, please contact Katy Green at Leicestershire & Rutland Community Foundation on 0116 262 4804 or email: katy.green@llrcommunityfoundation.org.uk
