Europe’s largest pooler and manufacturer of sustainable wooden pallets to the fresh produce and FMCG markets has come to the aid of a Miss England finalist by fashioning her eco-winning dress out of wood.
Coventry teenager Sian Healy nailed the competition – literally – with her head-turning design commissioned by Pooling Partners, a company that produces in excess of 20 million wooden pallets for the supply chain every year.
The 17-year-old’s showcase dress secured the prize of ‘The Green Goddess’ for the best eco dress in the competition.
In what can only be described as ‘Beauty and the Beech’, the planks of wood were re-purposed from use in the supply chain into a dress and fascinator to help Sian carve out a powerful statement on the catwalk, a factor that also helped her win the best promotional campaign in the regional heat.
Designed and manufactured by former soldiers at the Royal British Legion’s Industries (RBLI), the charity’s manufacturing wing in Aylesford, Kent, the pallet tells the story of the dangers of neglect and being taken for granted in 21st Century Britain.
Sian used the pallet dress and the Miss England platform to inspire teenagers to fight back against the unvarnished reality of cyber bullying after she became a victim herself and lost all of her confidence at the hands of Internet trolls.
She was hammering home the point with the support of family friends and commercial sponsors including Pooling Partners who have provided the raw materials for this dress with a difference.
“Sian has had a terrible time and as a business that actively promotes sustainability and growing our own young talent, we wanted to help her and the charity she is raising money for,” said Shelley Harris, Head of Commercial for Meriden-based Pooling Partners.
“The pallet is one of the most taken for granted items in the world, yet it moves everything around the globe from the food on our tables to the clothes on our backs. Despite its contribution, it is treated really badly – stolen, abandoned and burned on bonfires.
“It was re-purposed for this reason by Freya Brown, an RBLI volunteer, to highlight its versatility and ability to bounce back – very much like victims of bullying should.”
POOLING PARTNERS
Comments are closed.