FAB-L - Highfields Centre

Empowering Communities and Young People: Our Experience at the New Organising Conference 2025

admnhc4 — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:41:46 +0000

I had the privilege of attending the New Organising Conference (NOC 2025) at Liverpool Hope University as Deputy Head of the Highfields Centre, earlier this month. The conference brought together organisers, campaigners and community leaders from across the UK to share ideas, experiences and strategies for building stronger and fairer communities.

At Highfields Centre, our work is rooted in supporting young people, migrant communities and low-paid workers. The conference offered a valuable opportunity to both learn from others and contribute to national conversations around the issues that matter to our communities here in Leicester.

One of the highlights of the conference was leading a session on wage theft, in collaboration with GM Law Centre, the Work Rights Centre and Workplace Justice. We discussed how wage theft continues to impact workers in industries such as hospitality, care and manufacturing. I also shared the work of the Fashion Advice Bureau Leicester, a grassroot project built to support garment workers who experience exploitation and underpayment. Their work plays a vital role in helping workers access advice, understand their rights and take action against their employers.

Another key session focused on climate change, where we explored how to build greener workplaces, cities and communities. This conversation was particularly relevant for urban centres like Leicester, where environmental challenges often overlap with housing inequality, poor working conditions and public health issues. It was encouraging to hear how organisers across the country are beginning to place climate justice at the heart of their community work.

We were also proud to be joined at the conference by one of our young volunteers, Aaisha – A former T_level placement student, now a Politics undergraduate student preparing to enter her second year. Their participation was one of the most rewarding parts of the experience. It was clear how valuable this opportunity was for their personal and academic development.

One session that stood out for both of us was a listening and sharing circle led by experienced community organisers. The group tackled the question, ‘What is the elephant in the room in your organising?’ The discussion highlighted how diversity is often superficial, especially at leadership level, where boards and senior roles still lack true representation. There were also honest reflections on the gendered challenges that women face in activism and organising spaces. These are important conversations that we need to continue having within our own organisations and networks.

Attending NOC 2025 was not only informative, but also a timely reminder of the importance of intergenerational organising. It reinforced our belief that young people are not just future leaders, but active contributors in shaping the present. At Highfields, we are proud to create opportunities for young people to learn, lead and grow, and we are committed to ensuring their voices are embedded in everything we do. This experience has strengthened our resolve to continue building alliances, supporting grassroots action and standing in solidarity with all those fighting for justice across the UK.

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NOC 2025: My Experience as a Student and Volunteer

admnhc4 — Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:34:05 +0000

I was given the amazing opportunity to attend the New Organising Conference (NOC 2025) at Liverpool Hope University both as a volunteer for the Highfields Centre and as a student about to start my second year studying Politics. The opportunity to attend the conference excited me as it was led by organisers fighting for the community and migrant workers across the UK, this included Au pairs and workers on seasonal Visas. As a student this was a great eye opener into the real world and was a fantastic way to build ideas for my undergraduate dissertation.

During the three day Conference, I had the opportunity to attend a variety of sessions each with a different focus. They were the perfect opportunity to help me understand the struggles of migrant workers and the concerns around our current political climate.

I attended a session with a focus on how workers on seasonal visas face exploitation, the session was led by a PHD student and Members from the Worker Support Centre. It was interesting to hear about their real-life experiences and what finally pushed them to start fighting for workers’ rights. It was particularly interesting to learn about the parties involved and how many are victims of the exploitation.

Another session I attended was a listening and sharing circle led by community organisers. This was an amazing opportunity to listen to those who have been activist and organising for years and taught me what it means to be an activist and fight for the rights for our community and the struggles they face along the way. The discussion circle had a focus on the question ‘what is an elephant in the room in your organising?’ One particular point mentioned that stuck with me was how diversity is often there for show, for employees rather than those that represent the company such as the board of directors rarely represent any diversity. They also talked about how women have had to struggle to pave the way in a way that men have not. This session was truly beneficial and gave me a great insight into the reality of organising.

As part of representing the Highfields Centre, I helped with a session focused on wage theft and how it hurts workers and their families. We collaborated with GM Law Centre, the Work Rights Centre, and Workplace Justice. We discussed the different types of wage theft, like in the garment industry and hospitality. It gave me a much deeper insight into the reality for so many workers, especially migrant workers in those specific jobs.

Overall, my experience at NOC 2025, was a valuable experience and something I will look back on whilst I continue studying my degree. It connected the theories from my lectures to the real-world struggles of people in my community. I feel like I now have a much clearer purpose for my studies and a better understanding of the change I want to be a part of.

Written by: Aaisha Simjee

Year 2 Politics Student – Special interest – Feminism & Human Rights

Place of Study – University of Leicester

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Behind the Seams: Fast Fashion, Wholesale Secrets, and the Real Cost for Our Communities

admnhc4 — Tue, 15 Jul 2025 14:02:57 +0000

Fast fashion is everywhere. It’s in TikTok haul videos, on market stalls, and all over our social feeds. But while we’re told it’s about affordable style and quick convenience, there’s a deeper story hiding behind the seams one that involves hidden warehouses, cash-only trades, and working-class communities caught in a cycle they didn’t create.

In Manchester, particularly in the Cheetham Hill area, entire streets are lined with wholesale clothing suppliers. These are not glossy shops but anonymous units, stacked high with the latest trends at cut prices. Often sold in bulk, these clothes feed online boutiques, market stalls, and TikTok shops across the UK. Much of the business is informal some of it operates in legal grey areas, avoiding tax, skipping regulations, and moving stock at lightning speed.

But who’s buying all this fast fashion?

Many customers come from poorer and working-class communities. And it’s no surprise why. For people on tight budgets, markets and online platforms are often the only realistic options. The clothes are cheap, accessible, and offer the same trendy look for a fraction of the price. When you’re choosing between paying bills or buying a new jacket, price always wins.

Online stores, especially through platforms like TikTok, are open 24/7. You can buy now and pay later. Delivery is cheap or free. You don’t need to travel to city centres or walk into a shop where you might feel judged for what you’re wearing or what you can afford.

There’s also real social pressure to keep up. Trends move fast, especially online. For young people, especially those growing up in lower-income households, there’s a constant push to look a certain way, to belong. Fast fashion gives them a way to do that even if the clothes don’t last long.

What’s often missing from the conversation is this: many people don’t choose fast fashion because they don’t care they choose it because there are no better, affordable alternatives. Sustainable fashion is often priced out of reach. Ethical brands rarely speak to or support working-class communities. And when environmental campaigns focus on “blaming the consumer,” they ignore the fact that millions of people are simply trying to get by.

At FAB-L, we believe the fashion industry needs to take real responsibility not just for how clothes are made, but for who’s being left behind. If we want to challenge fast fashion, we must understand the whole system from the hidden wholesalers of Cheetham Hill to the living rooms where people are buying clothes off TikTok because it’s all they can afford.

This isn’t just about clothes. It’s about class, access, and dignity.

It’s time to change the story

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University of the Arts London student speaks with the Fashion-workers Advice Bureau Leicester (FAB-L)

Tarek Islam — Thu, 10 Nov 2022 09:00:00 +0000

As part of my university studies, I learned that Leicester, located in England’s Midland regions, stands at the forefront as a fashion manufacturing hub for the UK. While this has contributed to Leicester and the UK’s economic growth, a report led by ETI and the University of Leicester back in 2015 stated that many of Leicester’s garment factories have a history of long-standing labor rights violations. In 2020 during Covid-19 Lockdown expose by Labour Behind The Label showed factories breaking Covid-19 protocols and still operating during the lockdown behind closed doors.

Amidst the chaos, Fashion-workers Advice Bureau Leicester (FAB-L) was created in partnership with 3 trade unions and brands with the intention to genuinely help the industry, its people and to bring about a change. I interviewed FAB-L’s senior community engagement and outreach worker Tarek Islam sho quotes “Garment workers know that they should be paid more, but they’re still willing to work for less than the minimum wage, because most workers have no other choice and are vulnerable, they would rather have some income rather than no income.”

Tarek Islam – senior community engagement and outreach worker

He also reinforces on the issues of language proficiency and inadequate skills building amongst the community which in turn act as barriers towards growth and raising their voices. He said, “Most workers belong to ethnic minorities and have come to the UK to make a living, in many cases English is not their first language and hence find it difficult to communicate their needs to both their employer and the government, there is not as single state-funded support or welfare rights service available to help workers, and there are some official services available to help them but they are online, workers find it challenging to be a part of them simply because of language difficulties.”

From our conversation it’s clear to see that FAB-L in the past few months has been doing a great job in tackling these issues, from legal services to support groups and encouragement of trade unions, the people’s organization has supported up to 80 garment workers with issues ranging from welfare rights to recovering wages and improving working conditions in factories.

Tarek states “We have also been working with various universities & NGOs. We have worked with the likes of the University of Leicester, the University of Sussex, and other trade unions in carrying out programs to advocate for better working conditions for garment workers.

Tarek believes that “while it may take time to change the industry results in the last few month show and prove things can change, the garment industry in Leicester can get better but slowly but surely, there is a lot of work to be done and we all need to work together”

He went on to say that everyone in the supply chain should be able to do their part as ethically as possible, from the consumers, the brand, the manufacturer, and even the government, to make sure no such scandalous practices in the past happen again

Written by: Jumana Amthaniwala (+447570681216)

London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London

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FAB-L is invited to speak as a panellist by an international NGO “Fashion Revolution”

Tarek Islam — Fri, 29 Jul 2022 15:09:55 +0000

FAB-L was honoured to be invited as a panellist to speak at the launch of the Fashion Transparency Index 2022.

Photo credits to Laura Husband – Just Style.

Fashion Revolution is a unique organisation that is revolutionising the textiles and garment industry worldwide by encouraging the transparency of major brands across the globe. Fashion Revolution scores and rates Big Brands all over the world according to how transparent they are in all aspects of their business, especially when it comes to their supply chains and their responsibility towards their carbon footprint, climate change and pollution.

These ratings can then be used as leverage for other NGOs and media to demand change or take action. FAB-L got to learn the difference between transparency and sustainability, and now understands the importance of transparency.

It was a very good, informative and engaging event. The findings and statistics in the report show how much work, effort and research Fashion Revolution has put into it. Having read reports by the ETI and Nottingham University Rights Lab, it’s interesting to see that even though reports are produced by unrelated organisations but the findings and solutions in the reports are similar.

For example, the Fashion Transparency Index 2022 highlights that worldwide “Only 13% of brands disclose how many of their suppliers’ facilities have trade unions”. The report then advocates that “Organising and bargaining are vital tools for workers. In fact, they are the primary and often the only means for workers to gain improved conditions and wages.”

Similarly, the reports from ETI and Nottingham University both identify that there is no union presence in the textiles industry in Leicester and one of the long-term solutions to tackle exploitation is through an unionised workforce.

The event was also attended by various high-profile media agencies like British Vogue, WWD, Vogue Business and Drapers among many others. FAB-L was referenced in this Just-Style article.

The report also covers the importance and the need, for all civil rights, workers’ rights and NGO’s to come together as one, if we want to revolutionise the fashion industry. It has inspired us to plan a future FAB-L “friends of garment workers” event where we aim to bring together NGOs, agencies and charities from all over the country to join up and learn how everyone can work together.

Since the launch of FAB-L and with the support of brands and unions (GMB, UNITE & TUC Midlands), we have helped 80 garment workers with various issues ranging from welfare rights to recovering their missing pay and facilitated fashion workers to express their views directly to both regulatory bodies and brands.

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FAB-L’s response to the Low Pay Commission’s report on the Leicester textiles sector

Tarek Islam — Mon, 25 Jul 2022 13:48:26 +0000

FAB-L (Fashion workers Advice Bureau-Leicester) welcomes the Low Pay Commission’s report on the Leicester textiles sector which was published today.

We applaud their starting point question of ‘why have concerted efforts by enforcement bodies found relatively modest non-compliance in Leicester, when other bodies and individuals we spoke to believe it to be widespread and flagrant?’ and their recognition of the ‘reluctance of workers to make a complaint or provide intelligence to enforcement officers is a problem for enforcement activity.’

We support their finding that ‘Bodies that workers trust – such as trade unions and charities – have an important part to play in identifying and reporting abuses.’

We are particularly delighted by their confirmation that ‘the most tangible outcome of this work to date has been investment in a team of dedicated community workers offering advice and support to textiles workers, the Fashion Workers Advice Bureau Leicester (FAB-L).’

In view of their concluding statement that ‘It is clear that the reporting process as currently constituted does not work for low-paid workers such as those we met in Leicester. There is a fundamental lack of confidence in the process’, it is imperative to ensure the positive developments effected in Leicester (including the setting up of FAB-L) are not just maintained but built upon, so more fashion workers can access this highly valued service.

The full report can be found on this link: National Minimum Wage (publishing.service.gov.uk)

Below are other articles that comment on the Low Pay Commission’s report.

UK garment workers accept underpayment due to ‘fear, insecurity’ (just-style.com)

Fast-fashion factories in Leicester use secret clocking-in machines to cover up illegally low wages (inews.co.uk)

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Highfields Centre’s FAB-L team is up and running to support local fashion workers.

Fatimah Li — Mon, 04 Jul 2022 13:19:29 +0000

In response to the garment factory related issues in Leicester which were highlighted by the media last year; a very wide range of national agencies (including brands, unions, NGO’s (non-governmental organisations), regulatory bodies, community groups and local councils) known as the Apparel and General Merchandising Public Private Protocol (AGM-PPP) was expanded to provide an effective platform for multi-stakeholder collaboration and for a coordinated approach to achieving improvements in working conditions in their UK supply chains, and their first priority action was to agree setting up FAB-L.

As a pilot project, we are here to identify and support garment workers with accessing information, advice and guidance to educate them and raise awareness on their rights such as pay, holiday leave and employment contracts, so they are not being exploited. This is our first targeted event to promote FAB-L services with the backing of our funders.
The project workers will work closely with brands and factories, and with the support of the unions to ensure the garment industry is resurrected in a positive light and Leicester can once again be celebrated as a central place for garment and textile manufacturing.

The project was launched in January 2022 and very quickly our two project workers have established positive links with garment workers and suppliers to resolve workers’ rights issues. We are playing a pivotal role in resolving and mediating workers’ rights and employment related issues. We have successfully identified gaps with supplier recruitment practices and the handling and resolving of employment related matters. This has been achieved by working closely with members of our steering group, comprised of representatives from the brands, unions, NGO’s and Leicester City Council who have unanimously agreed that it is essential to act collectively to overcome the long-standing grievances.

A key strategy was to have a FAB-L launch event to raise awareness of the services we offer to the fashion workers and for them to feel empowered and have a voice on raising any concerns within Leicester’s textile industry. The event was extremely successful, and it was open to all fashion workers who were able to attend with families and friends to participate in various activities, as well as learn about the project. The FAB-L team were given the opportunity to promote their support services and provide guidance on workers’ rights as well as introduce the garment workers to wider stakeholders who could support them with their issues.

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The Seed of Change

Tarek Islam — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 13:59:52 +0000

Garment Workers Protest in London to Demand Missguided Pay Their Wages.

Possibly for the first time in 20 years, garment workers (with the support of FAB-L) felt empowered enough to protest and demand their wages.

Fashion brand Missguided goes into administration leaving thousands of garment workers with unpaid wages! 5 garment workers from Leicester with FAB-L travel to London to protest outside Teneo Financial Advisory (the administrators) and Alteri Investment Group who have £20 million pounds in the bank after the sale of Missguided to sports retail giant Sports Direct. Picture credits to Holly Falconer.

For far too long, garment workers’ voices have been suppressed. Over the last two decades, thousands of garment workers have been subject to labour abuse, unpaid wages, unsafe work environments, and more!

Due to the lack of services and support available for the garment workers, they had no choice but to accept their predicament.

Garment workers feared even talking openly about these everyday labour abuses.

Hopefully not for too long anymore, as the seed of change and empowerment has been planted!

Prior to FAB-L’s launch, many government and independent agencies reported that garment workers were not willing to speak or report problems, with some helplines receiving just 1 anonymous call in the whole year.

Previously, garment workers hadn’t reported issues because they have been let down too many times with the lack of response and remedies. In some cases, garment workers even lost their jobs because of raising issues.

The garment workers had lost all hope and trust in government-linked agencies.

FAB-L has been changing this! With its service going public on 24^th January 2022 and in a very short time, and with the help and support of Trade unions, NGO’s and some Fashion brands, FAB-L has been able to make a tidal difference!

Through engaging two workers from within the community, FAB-L has been able to connect and build trust with the garment workers. FAB-L uniquely assists with welfare rights, legal advice & advocacy services covering immigration, housing, and education, in addition to workplace rights.

Tarek Islam
Senior Community Engagement & Outreach Worker
Fashion-workers Advice Bureau Leicester (FAB-L)

Fatimah Li
Community Engagement & Outreach Worker
Fashion-workers Advice Bureau Leicester (FAB-L)

FAB-L has already helped garment workers recover over £40,000 of missing wages, and it has helped over 50 workers resolve various housing and welfare issues.

Consequently, the garment workers are willing to walk side by side with FAB-L.

After the rally, the garment workers said “We didn’t know we could do something like this and now we feel enlightened and empowered, and we’re looking forward to the next rally and will attend in bigger numbers!”

They also stated even if they are not able to recover their wages, they now know they can fight!

So, please stay tuned for more developments.

And with special thanks to Labour Behind the Label for organising the rally and to the trade unions (The TUC Midlands, GMB and UNITE) for their advice and guidance.

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