Sarah Bigley, Shop Manager at Oxfam in Diss, is a self-confessed ‘mending obsessive’. Ahead of a Don’t Make-Do, Mend workshop collab with Designmakers21, Sarah encourages us to give a favourite garment some love
Who are you and what do you do?
I am Sarah Bigley, Shop manager at Oxfam in Diss Norfolk. I have a Fashion/Textile degree in Knitwear, have been a freelance knitwear and crochet designer and teacher and a mending obsessive!
When did your love of all things secondhand begun?
I first bought second hand clothing back in the 80’s from charity shops, primarily as a way to recreate looks I was seeing in magazines but maybe couldn’t afford-the clothes and styles I loved were out of my price range and buying from high street shops meant looking like everyone else and who wants that?! I now buy secondhand clothing, textiles and much of my footwear from charity shops, jumble sales and car boot sales.
What is happening this weekend and what can people expect at the workshop?
Following on from the International Women’s Day banner making workshop we ran in February, Oxfam Diss have collaborated with Marie Mallan (@sewwhatmarie) at DesignerMakers21 in Diss to run a mending workshop entitled “Don’t Make-Do, Mend”.
The title was inspired by the government campaign run during and after WW2, when clothing and textiles rations were in force, teaching and inspiring people to mend their clothes, make them last longer and also turn old clothing and fabrics into new things.
With the current statistics saying that 100 billion garments are produced each year, 92 million tonnes ending up in landfill and the fashion industry’s emissions set to rise by 50% by 2030, the need to encourage people to mend and prolong the life of garments has never been greater.
Although the onus should be primarily on the fashion companies to stop the over production of garments, the act of mending is now being seen as an act of environmental protest-something we very much agree with!
We are inviting people (of any ability or experience) to come along maybe with a garment that needs some love and we will be teaching basic mending techniques such as darning and sashiko and also simple skills like sewing on buttons and sewing hems. We will also be advising people on environmentally friendly stain removal and simple hacks to revive clothes that you may be a bit bored with.
Having the skills to mend and do basic alterations on clothing also means you may be tempted to buy something from a charity shop that needs a little something doing to it to make it just right for you.
In the 5 years I have been at Oxfam, I have seen a massive increase in clothing donations that we cannot sell simply because of damage-much of it mendable and as these skills are not really taught anymore, we thought that the Secondhand September would be a perfect time to hold another workshop.
The last workshop brought together over 50 fabulous women who shared their stories, experience and skills making it a really inspiring day – we want to do the same on Saturday 5th September with hopefully some men coming along too!
Which charities are benefitting and why?
We are asking for a suggested donation of £10, which will be split between Oxfam GB and Designermakers21 (who are an art charity in Diss). We always want any events to be accessible to everyone so will not turn anyone away if this is out of their means, with no judgement or question.
What would your message be to people who have never attempted to mend an item of clothing before, this Secondhand September?
Start with something simple so you don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t go quite how you planned (although I love creative accidents – it makes your item totally unique to you!).
There is so much information and great stuff on social media now which is easy to follow or, better still, get together with friends and make it a social thing away from your devices.
Mending is incredibly therapeutic and a type of mindfulness – you are connecting to your garment, to the people who made them and to the values of care and sustainability.
How can people find out more about what you do?
We will be posting more information on our socials up to the event: Facebook and Instagram. Follow us, give us a like or DM us and we’ll keep you up to date with any forthcoming events and of course, pop into our shop in Diss to say hello!
The Don’t Make-Do, Mend workshop takes place at Designmakers21, 21 St Nicholas Street, Diss, IP22 4LB, on Saturday September 5, 2026, from 10am to 3pm. A suggested donation of £10 will be split between Oxfam GB and Designmakers21. Follow Oxfam-Diss on Facebook and Instagram.
Featured image of Sarah Bigley – supplied
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