Bearing Gifts: Celebrating Hope Craft and Second Chances at HMP Leicester
20-07-2025
On Friday 27th June 2025, HMP Leicester will open its doors to welcome guests for the official launch of Bearing Gifts – an inspiring new initiative that is stitching together reparation, sustainability, and social impact from behind prison walls.
Developed through the innovative Bars to Business programme, Bearing Gifts empowers prisoners to repurpose textile waste into beautifully handcrafted patchwork teddy bears. Each bear sold funds the donation of a twin bear to a child in need, creating a symbolic and tangible bridge of empathy between prisoners and the wider community.
This launch event offers a unique opportunity to witness transformation in action. Guests will hear from Patrick (Paddy), the prisoner whose creativity and determination sparked the idea. Attendees will also tour the prison workshop, where the bears are made, and meet the dedicated team and partners behind the project.
With expert training from Fashion-Enter Ltd’s – Fashion Technology Academy (FTA), participants gain industry-recognised qualifications that provide a vital stepping stone toward employment or entrepreneurship upon release.
Bearing Gifts is more than just a creative project—it’s a multi-layered response to some of society’s most pressing challenges: reoffending, poverty, and textile waste. By investing in skills, fostering purpose, and building human connection, the initiative is offering both a fresh start and a future to those who need it most.
Talking about the initiative TJ Hussein, Head of Compliance at Fashion-Enter Ltd, commented: “Over the past few months, I’ve been involved in the development of the Bearing Gifts Stitching Academy at HMP Leicester, ensuring that their new workspace reflects the same high standards that we uphold across all our www.FCFTA.com campuses.
“Fashion-Enter Ltd / FTA has taken great care to ensure that every machine in the academy is fully compliant, fit for purpose, and ready for immediate use. We’ve also organised and supplied all their fabrics and trims – providing more than were required because we are fully committed to supporting this innovative and important programme from the ground up.
“The studio itself has been designed with a lean and efficient layout. It’s been completely repainted and upgraded with new electrics to provide a fresh, professional, and inspiring environment for all who use it.
“Good luck to everyone involved. We’re proud to be part of something so positive and forward-thinking.”
Fashion-Enter Ltd / FTA CEO, Jenny Holloway, added: “When I first met Helen Cox at HMP Leicester I was absolutely committed to making this concept of Bearing Gifts work. I met Paddy who explained how the traveller community says; ‘I half my heart for you’ as an expression of love. He then rolled that forward to create two bears that share two halves of one heart. Each loved one, be that a partner or child, owns a bear with a half a heart to create a whole heart when reunited together.
“To further support the program we have spent days of development time in creating the bears. I have no doubt that HMP Leicester will further develop and create new and exciting variations of the teddy. Paddy has so many ideas and we wish everyone so much success. Additionally, Fashion-Enter Ltd will be training the new instructor at the visit to a Level 1 stitching standard.
“Our absolute grateful thanks to Nick Campsie and the Tasso Foundation. Without Nick’s amazing support this program could not have been launched!”
Nick Campsie, Tasso Foundation, said: “Patrick deserves huge credit for this initiative, as do the staff at HMP Leicester. The Tasso Foundation is proud to support Bearing Gifts as it shows how creativity and compassion can drive real rehabilitation and change lives both inside and outside prison walls.”
