Press Release: Fashion Roundtable and COVID-19
Pursuing PPE solutions within the industry, ensuring industry workers are protected, lobbying for pay parity for fashion industry workers, and other initiatives
Fashion Roundtable and PPE Solutions— Monday 6th April 2020
Since the outbreak of Covid-19, Fashion Roundtable have been urgently facilitating end-to-end Personal Protective Equipment solutions, mediating between the Government, British Textiles Consortium and Emergency Designer Network.
British Textiles Consortium and Emergency Designer Network are two new groups, born of COVID-19. Their purpose is to organise and deploy the supply, manufacture and distribution of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) under Governmental PHE specification: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-infection-prevention-and-control/covid-19-personal-protective-equipment-ppe
British Textiles Consortium is large scale, both in terms for parties involved, and production of PPE for NHS Frontline key workers http://britishtextileconsortium.com Kate Hills from Make It British says: “We are working on finding all of the UK manufacturers that can switch production to provide an end-to-end solution for PPE that is made locally. Whilst the government is currently concentrating on importing these products, this is a short-term solution. Once these resources dry up, which they will do as global demand increases, we will need to tap into the manufacturing base that we have in the UK. We have had amazing support from a diverse range of manufacturers, and I have every confidence that the UK textile industry is able to adapt and be agile enough to cope with the challenges ahead.”
Emergency Designer Network is smaller scale, and led by a network of British-based designers including Phoebe English, Bethany Williams, and Holly Fulton, coordinating small businesses and individuals who are willing to help with the home-make of PPE for key workers in other sectors, following the PHE guidelines on PPE. Phoebe English says: “PPE is in urgent need, each day that passes more and more requests come in, we are making a network of at home makers who can aim to fulfil short term needs for key workers as a voluntary endeavour called Emergency Designer Network.”
Fashion Roundtable have requested support for a push-forward from our APPGs Chairs. With recent updated PPE specification and continuous engagement with the Central Office, we expect an official start soon on both routes.
This initiative has been covered by a variety of media outlets, including Vogue, the Financial Times, and trade journal Drapers.
https://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/article/bethany-williams-coronavirus-nhs-scrubs
https://www.ft.com/content/5218e4ea-7023-11ea-89df-41bea055720b
https://www.fashionroundtable.co.uk/news/uk-fashion-supporting-nhs-covid-19-press-release
Additionally, Fashion Roundtable reacted quickly in support of GMB Union announcements on concerns regarding warehouse and distribution centre staff during COVID-19.
Fashion Roundtable raised awareness on the critical importance of immediate reaction from fashion companies and the government, for the proper deployment of measures and PPE to support workers in the distribution industry.
Fashion Roundtable lobbying on pay parity for non -PAYE workers to receive the same benefits as those with PAYE
Fashion Roundtable have lobbied BEIS, DCMS and the Treasury on universal governmental financial support for all those affected by Coronavirus Crisis. We highlighted the concerns of the £50,000 per year profit cap in the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, and advocated for directors of small businesses who usually rely on dividends as their income source.
We supported CIF efforts on the same line, with exchange of information from the sector, and we welcomed IPSE in our weekly webinar and have shown support to their work.
Fashion Roundtable have requested support for a push-forward from our APPGs Chairs.
Please find here a template letter to enable you to write to your MP should this affect you, or should you wish to join Fashion Roundtable in requesting parity for our industry co-workers: https://www.fashionroundtable.co.uk/news/2020/3/26/a-template-letter-to-your-mp-and-the-chancellor-regarding-self-employed-workers-and-smes-in-the-fashion-industry-earning-more-than-50k-per-year-in-light-of-covid-19
And here a template letter to Government: https://www.fashionroundtable.co.uk/news/letter-to-your-mp-covid-19-fashion-industry
Fashion Roundtable’s work on the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS)
Fashion Roundtable launched an inquiry and has collected intelligence from the fashion and textile sector in regards ease of access to CBILS, which we will feedback to the government. Additionally, Fashion Roundtable has collaborated with media outlet Business of Fashion in order to distribute feedback from experiences to the public.
Please see the link for an update on the scheme: https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/coronavirus-business-interruption-loan-scheme/
Fashion Roundtable’s lobbying for support for brands whose orders have been cancelled by retailers
We raised to the Government the concerns received from textile and fashion businesses whose orders have been cancelled by retailers. Providing this information and feedback from the sector aids the Government in taking more informed decisions.
Fashion Roundtable’s compilation of resources, keeping track of Whitehall and City Hall support measures during Coronavirus
Updated weekly, this page https://www.fashionroundtable.co.uk/news allows us to supply information and direction, and reply in real time to our community’s needs, keeping up to date on government and local London administration support available to those affected by COVID-19.
Fashion Roundtable’s Weekly Webinar, “Ask the Expert!”, every Friday at 2pm during the COVID-19 crisis
This weekly Fashion Roundtable webinar, featuring industry expert speakers, is open to public and private sector guests. Links will be sent to all who email sarah.squires@fashionroundtable.co.uk
Fashion Roundtable and the Coronavirus Act 2020
Fashion Roundtable have worked on the official document, scrutinising it for “advantage & disadvantages” and checking for inclusion, privacy, and other relevant concerns. The Coronavirus Bill can be seen here: http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2020/7/contents/enacted
Fashion Roundtable lobbying on textiles, clothing and footwear manufacturing to be included on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) for Visas, post-Brexit
The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Textiles and Fashion surveyed manufacturers across the UK to map the current state of employment in the UK garment manufacturing sector. Fashion Roundtable lobbied for job recognition, skills level requirements and salary level, and sent the recommendations to our APPGs chairs and members, sector’s organisations peers and the Government.
More information on the Skilled Occupation List is here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/806331/28_05_2019_Full_Review_SOL_Final_Report_1159.pdf
The APPG for Textiles and Fashion/ Fashion Roundtable details of our parliamentary event on this are here: https://www.fashionroundtable.co.uk/news/2019/7/23/appg-for-textile-and-fashion-x-fashion-enter-visas-and-employment-in-the-garment-manufacturing-sector-agenda and recommendations here: https://www.appgtextilesfashion.com/post/recommendations-on-visas-and-employment-in-the-garment-manufacturing-sector
Notes For Editors
For all press enquiries please email our Communications Director Jodi Muter-Hamilton