Latest news with #CFW
Fashion United
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- Fashion United
Cheshire Fashion Week 2025 sets global standard with mandatory sustainability rules
Long before sustainability became a checklist item, Cheshire Fashion Week (CFW) made it its primary focus. In 2021, it became the first fashion week in the UK to set mandatory sustainability requirements, including complete supply chain transparency, verified ethical labour, circular design commitments, and a ban on exotic materials. Four years on, its strategy has evolved into a blueprint for how fashion weeks can drive change from the inside out. While the British Fashion Council (BFC) is set to pilot its sustainable fashion approach throughout 2025, CFW has already spent years putting principles into practice. Sustainability has played a role in Cheshire Fashion Week's efforts to promote the responsible and sustainable fashion industry by empowering emerging designers. This has not only served as a value statement but also as a strategic filter for both designer selection and brand partnerships. Cheshire Fashion Week's focus on environmental and social standards has become a defining feature of its programming. A strong influence came from the Copenhagen Fashion Week framework, widely regarded as a benchmark for responsible fashion weeks. Claire Namukolo Raven, founder and CEO of CFW, says, "Our focus goes beyond vetting fabric; we are committed to promoting independent designers and brand values throughout every aspect of the business. It is imperative that brands demonstrate sustainability and that their operations are aligned with measurable results." The participation of international designers from Nigeria, Ireland, and the United States for the October 2025 lineup encourages us. This year represents our most geographically diverse edition to date, reflecting the growing interest in a platform that prioritises positive change in the fashion industry." Credits: Cheshire fashion week Cheshire Fashion Week's sustainable initiatives reflect a broader consumer trend toward values-driven fashion, particularly among Gen Z and younger millennials. CFW 2024 survey results show that ticket sales increased by 89%, and 82% of engagement from those aged between 18 and 45 cited "sustainability accountability" as their primary motivation for trusting the fashion week platform. Since 2023, Cheshire Fashion Week's Instagram and social media following has grown to over 15,000. Its influence has reshaped expectations across the country. That same insight has helped CFW secure key partnerships with platforms such as Porsche in their 2024 launch of the Taycan electric model. "We've moved beyond tokenism," says Claire Namukolo Raven, the CEO of CFW. The fashion industry is moving towards ethical and sustainable practices, so our partners must adhere to our Operational Sustainability Guidelines." A 2019 petition signed by nearly 15,000 individuals led CFW to ban exotic materials earlier in 2019. What was once considered bold is now recognised as necessary for the shift toward cruelty-free, sustainable fashion. As the North's biggest fashion week, Cheshire Fashion Week plays a key role in redefining the UK's fashion landscape. While its roots are regional, Cheshire Fashion Week has shifted to a global platform due to its early emphasis on sustainable requirements. London Fashion Week's adoption of similar sustainability criteria in 2025 only underscores CFW's role as a leader. Claire celebrates this exciting momentum! Designers are not just unfazed by our standards; they thrive on them. The integrity we share genuinely empowers their creativity, resulting in incredible collaborations that benefits everyone involved. This is reflected in Cheshire Fashion Week's continued growth and success, which is rooted in its ability to adapt to changes in culture, environment, and the industry. International communities that value purpose-driven fashion recognise and celebrate this agility. Cheshire Fashion Week 2025 will take place at Chester Town Hall and Chester Cathedral from 16-18 October 2025, with the final lineup announced in September. The event recognises ethical practices and sustainability in the fashion industry, attracting brands that prioritise accountability and integrity over mere appearance. The demand for values-driven fashion is seen worldwide, and Cheshire Fashion Week more often sets than reflects the trends of UK fashion weeks. Credits: Cheshire fashion week
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
Care home director warns of impact of visa restrictions
Kevin Edwards, from Meddyg Care, which runs two dementia care homes in Gwynedd, has written to Wales's First Minister, Eluned Morgan. He warned of the 'potentially devastating impact' of the UK Government's decision to end the Health and Care Worker visa. Mr Edwards believes the move could lead to care homes and domiciliary care companies shutting down. The issue is particularly severe in rural areas, which are already struggling to recruit local workers. Mr Edwards highlighted official statistics showing that 15 per cent of registered care workers in Wales were born outside the UK. He said: "The social care sector in rural North Wales is already under significant strain, grappling with high vacancy rates, an ageing population, and limited local workforce availability. "The Health and Care Worker visa has been a critical lifeline, enabling care providers to recruit international workers to fill staffing gaps." He has called on the First Minister to pressure the Westminster Government into either reversing the policy or implementing a transitional scheme for critical workers in social care. Mr Edwards is also advocating for more investment in training and pay levels to attract local workers and stronger measures to stop exploitation of international workers. He said: "The withdrawal of this visa will exacerbate existing challenges in rural North Wales, where geographic isolation and a smaller pool of domestic workers make recruitment particularly difficult." The ban on care workers bringing dependants, introduced in March last year, has already caused an 83 per cent fall in visa applications, with monthly applications dropping from 129,000 to 26,000 in a year. Mr Edwards said: "This sharp reduction demonstrates the policy's immediate impact, and the complete termination of the visa route will likely deepen the crisis. "The loss of international workers, who bring diverse skills and dedication, threatens to destabilise care homes and domiciliary services, potentially leading to closures." He extended an invitation to the First Minister to visit the care homes to see firsthand the impact of the potential closure of the visa scheme. The issue has also been raised by Care Forum Wales (CFW), who have branded the policy 'half-baked.' READ MORE: Ysbyty Gwynedd: 'Systemic challenges' but 'positive improvements' in ED Historic church on Anglesey with a 'lost well' in bid to extend graveyard The organisation warned that the policy, which came into force on July 22, risks 'extreme workforce shortages'. CFW Chair Mario Kreft MBE said: "This ill-thought through policy has come as a double whammy because it coincides with the increase in the employers' National Insurance contributions which amounts to a 37 per cent rise. "I'd also like to quash the myth once and for all that international workers are cheap labour because the exact opposite is true."
Edinburgh Reporter
14-07-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Reporter
Cocoa Black holds two workshops
Award winning chocolatier, Ruth Hinks, held two workshops in the CFW Training Kitchen recently. CFW is a supplier of professional catering equipment and ingredients. Professional chocolatiers and pastry chefs attended a Chocolate Workshop where new techniques using Callebaut Chocolate were demonstrated. Those who attended were shown how to make decadent chocolate delights devised by Ruth who is a former winner of Australian Pastry Chef of the Year. The next day, Ruth held a bakers' workshop showing participants how to improve their baking skills with creative brownies, muffins, and cookies, using ingredients from Callebaut and Sephra. Ruth trained with Cacao Barry in Paris, and became Head Pastry Chef at The Sheraton Grand. She was mentored by the very best chocolatiers and pastry chefs, including Albert Roux. She currently operates the Cocoa Black Chocolate and Pastry School in Peebles, which is fast becoming a must visit for international pastry chefs to attend Ruth's courses. Keen home cooks can also attend and the Pastry School has a café and shop. John Laughlin, Operations Director from Sephra said: 'We were extremely privileged to have Ruth with us for two days, leading these informative training workshops for professional pastry chefs, bakers and chocolatiers to attend, to hone and improve their existing skills. 'Helping to inspire the next generation of pastry chefs and chocolatiers is what we are all about here at CFW and Sephra, as well as keep them well supplied with everything they need, including the incredible range of Callebaut chocolate which is simply unbeatable.' Ruth said: 'I thoroughly enjoying my two workshops with CFW 'The training kitchen is extremely well equipped and it was fabulous to engage with CFW customers, many of whom are running cafes, restaurants and all types of dessert and chocolate businesses.' Like this: Like Related
Rhyl Journal
04-06-2025
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Families angry over £7k a year cross-border care funding gap
Relatives spoke out after learning Denbighshire County Council pays £7,000 a year less per person towards providing care in a care home than their counterparts a short hop across the water in Conwy. One elderly couple caught up in the postcode lottery of funding are Leslie and Megan Smallwood. Leslie, 90, a retired quantity surveyor, and Megan, 86, a former maths teacher, live at The Old Deanery Care Home in St Asaph. They moved there in February last year from their family home at Caerwys in Flintshire, with that property now up for sale. Their daughter Yvonne Harding, a community nurse who lives in Heswall on the Wirral, said: 'Having this difference in fees from one council to another is fundamentally unfair. MORE NEWS: 'It seems to me Conwy are valuing the care sector, and I applaud that. 'We can't fault the home in its care, but it's about meeting the true cost of that care.' Rosemary Holland's brother Andrew Truelove, 61, is a resident at St David's Residential Home in Rhyl. Her father John Truelove had been a resident at the home until his death in September last year. Rosemary, who lives in Conwy, used to work in the care sector and said she has huge concerns about the financial challenges the industry was facing. She urged Denbighshire County Council to at least match the fees paid by Conwy County Borough Council. She said that would ensure all care home residents received an equal level of care – and would stop staff leaving homes in Denbighshire for better pay at care homes across the river in Conwy. Rosemary said: 'I just feel that Denbighshire needs to sort themselves out and pay the extra. 'They need to, because what Denbighshire is doing is affecting the residents. 'I have real concerns about the way social services in Denbighshire is working with residents, because it feels like they are not working for the residents, they are working to try to keep costs down.' The span of the Grade II listed Foryd Bridge can mean a huge difference in funding for care homes on opposite banks of the mouth of the River Clwyd. Care Forum Wales also hit out describing the funding gap as a 'shameful disparity is grossly unjust because it discriminates against older vulnerable people.' Thea Brain, North Wales Policy Advisor for CFW, said: 'This is about the entitlement of the individual. Why is someone who lives in Conwy worth more than someone who lives in Denbighshire? 'When you press this issue with the people at Denbighshire County Council they give very vague answers pointing to the differences in settlement for each local authority but that doesn't account for these huge differences in the figures. 'When you look into this you are left with the unacceptable conclusion that this is just a matter of political priority.' CFW Chair Mario Kreft said: 'It's astonishing that a Labour-controlled council like Denbighshire is ignoring Welsh Labour Government advice and is promoting such inequality in Wales. 'Those making these decisions should consider positions.' Denbighshire County Council funds about 382 placements across 85 care homes. The total projected cost for older people's residential and nursing care during 2025/26 is £15.2 million. A spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council said: "In setting its 2025/2026 care fees, Denbighshire County Council consulted with care providers across the county and took into consideration the main concerns raised, which were the increase in Real Living Wage and the impact of the changes to National Insurance. Each Local Authority has a different funding settlement and therefore has to strike a very delicate balance of navigating challenging financial constraints and ensuring that we are maintaining a sustainable future for the care sector in Denbighshire. "Denbighshire currently funds approximately 382 placements across 85 care homes. The total projected cost for older people's residential and nursing care during 2025/26 is £15.2 million. "With social care making up nearly a third of the average Council Tax bill in Denbighshire, it is vital that we take a fair and sustainable approach to funding care within Denbighshire."
Rhyl Journal
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Ban on overseas care workers will close North Wales homes
That's the warning from sector champions Care Forum Wales (CFW) which says the plan to end the recruitment of care staff from overseas will have a devastating impact on care homes and domiciliary care companies - with catastrophic consequences for the NHS. The announcement by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper came at a time when the sector was already reeling from increases in National Insurance contributions and wage rises, which amount to a 37 per cent hike in costs. CFW raised the issue as a matter of urgency at a meeting a meeting of the Five Nations group, which represents social care providers in Wales, England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Eire, where the condemnation was unanimous. Both organisations are writing to Prime Minister Kier Starmer and the Home Secretary urging them to reverse the overseas recruitment ban for social care. Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of CFW, said: 'It really is a half-baked, ill-thought through idea that's ignored commonsense for the sake of short-term political expediency. 'Calling these social care heroes low skilled is an affront. It's shocking because we're talking about some very special people who are highly skilled at caring. 'To treat them with such disdain as the Home Secretary has done is an absolute disgrace. We live in ageist society where older, vulnerable people are not valued. 'As a result, these social care workers are at the wrong end of the salary scale because of the model that local authorities and health boards apply to commissioning publicly funded social care services. 'It's particularly damaging here in Wales because most people who need social care – whether it's in a care home or in their own homes – are publicly funded. 'If you lose 10 per cent of your workforce it's going to cause major issue because you need so many people." Mario Kreft MBE (Image: Mike Dean (Eye Imagery)) The UK Government has said care workers from overseas have made a "huge contribution" to social care in the UK, but too many have been subject to "shameful levels of abuse and exploitation". A statement released by the government said: "Workers seeking to support the UK's care sector arrived to find themselves saddled with debt, treated unfairly, or in extreme cases discover the jobs they were promised did not exist. "In March, the Home Office revealed over 470 care providers had had their licence to sponsor international staff suspended since 2022. Under plans to be outlined on Monday (May 12), the government will go further and put an end to any more overseas recruitment. "The crackdown on rogue care providers has seen around 40,000 workers displaced, many of whom are ready to rejoin the workforce. They will be given the opportunity to do the jobs they were promised, while long-term plans are drawn up to train homegrown talent into the care sector. " It added: International workers who are already sponsored to work legally in the sector will be able to continue to extend their stay, change sponsors and apply to settle, including those who need to switch employers following a sponsor licence revocation. "This government is committed to tackling these issues and has committed to establishing fair pay agreements which will empower worker, employer and other sector representatives to negotiate improvements in the terms of employment. This builds on the announcement in January of the expansion of the Care Workforce Pathway which will support the adult social care sector to professionalise the workforce. "Together, these measures will move the UK away from a dependence on overseas workers to fulfil our care needs." However, Mr Kreft said it will "inevitably lead" to care homes closing and domiciliary care companies "going to the wall". 'If you have problems in terms of quality because you haven't enough staff, you'll get closed down anyway by the regulator." he said. 'At the very least, domiciliary care and care homes will have to reduce services which will cause a backlog into the NHS. 'It is so counterintuitive. At a time when you're hitting businesses with a 37 per cent increase in National Insurance to raise £20 billion for the NHS, the UK Government is harming the social care sector that keeps the NHS going. They are shooting themselves in the foot. It defies logic. 'All of the work we have done over the past 20 to 30 years to professionalise the sector, working in partnership with the Welsh Government and Social Care Wales, they have put a match to it overnight. 'If we were able to recruit sufficient staff locally we would. We certainly wouldn't go to the extra expense of recruiting international workers. It can cost £10,000 per person." Mr Kreft said the policy is "politically driven", describing it as "knee-jerk politics of the worst kind" in an effort to "confront a right-wing agenda".
