Roscommon-based upcycling start-up that trains women to repurpose discarded textiles has secured €186,649 in funding from the European Union Just Transition Fund (EU JTF). CycleUp Textiles, founded by Roscommon Women’s Network (RWN), provides textile upcycling training to women, including those from the Irish Traveller community and Ukraine, enabling them to create unique, sustainable products from pre-loved fabrics.

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CycleUp emerged from a growing interest in sustainability among women working in RWN’s pop-up shop and was developed with support from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Roscommon County Council, and Patagonia.

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CycleUp Textiles, a circular economy social enterprise based in Athleague and  Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, is leading the way in the repurposing of fabrics that would otherwise be thrown away. The organisation provides textile upcycling training, which has allowed the women running the business to create unique upcycled items out of pre-loved textiles. The business embodies the Roscommon Women’s Network’s core aim of supporting women who have limited access to opportunities, with many women having undergone upcycling training, including women from the Irish Traveller community and Ukraine.

 

CycleUp came into being after the women who were working in RWN’s pop-up shop became increasingly interested in sustainability. A trip to the Rediscovery Centre in Dublin led the group to earn a spot in the centre’s Circular Economy Academy. Initial funding support from the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, Roscommon County Council’s Local Area Partnership Fund, Galway and Roscommon ETB and support from Patagonia helped the project to get off the ground in 2019.

 

Ten women began learning how to upcycle textiles, with training continuing over Zoom upon the outset of the pandemic. During this time, they put their new skills to use by making reusable face masks out of repurposed fabrics.

 

Over the last few years, the initiative has grown and grown. Funding from Rethink Ireland, Pobal, and The Ireland Funds has kept the project up and running, with the Circular Economy Innovation Fund also providing support. With this support, CycleUp has been able to hire a business development manager, a production team lead and a training coordinator. Recently, RWN was unsure of whether they could retain these staff, but the funding from the EU JTF programme has allowed them to sustain these roles.

 

CycleUp recently received the Rural Social Impact Award from the RDS and were given a stand at the Dublin Horse Show, where the team sold approximately €2,000 worth of merchandise.

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You can follow all of the CycleUp Textiles project highlights here, or on our social media following #euinmyregion.

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European Union Just Transition Fund

 

EU Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a new fund created under the 2021-2027 EU programming round to help communities across Europe meet the challenges posed by the transition to a zero-carbon economy.

 

In Ireland, where the National Climate Action Plan aims to achieve a climate-resilient, biodiversity-rich, environmentally sustainable and climate-neutral economy by 2050, the EU JTF is focused on the wider Midlands region which has been impacted by the move away from peat production and electricity generation from peat.

 

Co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the EU, up to €169 million will be available over the duration of the fund. The investment will be targeted to support the diversification of local economies and the creation of new opportunities that complement the assets of the Territory.

 

The fund will also restore degraded peatlands and regenerate industrial heritage assets, as well as invest in smart and sustainable local mobility so that local communities are able to benefit from the economic opportunities and amenities.

 

The Single Specific Objective of EU JTF, as set out in Regulation (EU) (2021/1056): To mitigate the adverse effects of climate transition by supporting the most affected territories and workers concerned and to promote a balanced socio-economic transition.

 

As required in legislation, Ireland has prepared a Territorial Just Transition Plan and accompanying Programme setting out the activities the Fund supports. With the European Commission’s recent adoption of Ireland’s Territorial Just Transition Plan and Programme, activities under the programme will begin rolling out in early 2023.

 

The fund operates under Regulation (EU) (2021/1056) within the framework of the EU Cohesion policy.

 

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