The ‘generous gesture’ from Rachel Concannon, who runs Rachel’s Textiles in Colomberie, has been welcomed by the St Helier Youth & Community Trust.
Ms Concannon designs and produces a range of bags and said it was ‘fitting’ to support a ban on single-use plastic bags, and contribute a percentage of the profits from her bags to the trust, which supports charitable initiatives and helps young people and the vulnerable in the parish.
The States Assembly voted unanimously in June to ban the sale of single-use plastic and paper carrier bags, with retailers given until January 2022 to comply.
Ms Concannon is keen to engage young Islanders ‘in the drive to eliminate plastic and waste’ and has also launched a competition for 11- to 14-year-olds to create a ‘sturdy, practical, well-made shopping bag’. The winner of the competition, which runs until 1 September, will receive a Janome 230DC sewing machine.
She said: ‘Having left a long-term post at JCG, teaching food and textiles, to set up my own studio, I thought it was fitting to reach out to the creativity of young people and encourage them to promote the message of sustainability while honing their artistic talents.’
Trust chairman Andrew Lewis said: ‘It would be wonderful if other businesses would follow Rachel’s lead and consider donating a percentage of the sale proceeds from their own branded bags for life.’
