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Our Priorities

Priorities in action

Distribution of food and essential items to those in need and most vulnerable

Provide a distribution centre for food and essential items throughout the pandemic, addressing food poverty, period poverty and supporting those living in poverty and deprivation through the impacts of the pandemic. Working with grassroots community initiatives across Cornwall we will distribute aid and supplies to those on the front line as well as to those in need in our community.

Continue facilitating Social Inclusion and Skill Sharing, bringing the community together

We will embrace digital tools to continue the sharing of skills and provide opportunities to join the TeX community. We want to ensure the community is still able come together social but virtually rather than physically, until once again we can come together in person.

SUPPORT amazing people and their community initiatives to thrive.

We will support  community leaders and influencers to ensure they and their community are able to access the support they need. We want to support the huge influx of volunteers and community initiatives formed in response to the pandemic, helping them to thrive and support their own communities the best they can.

manufacturing of products needed in the fight against covid, addressing shortfalls.

​TeX industries will free up its manufacturing capabilities to produce, textile products that are in shortage, from industry re-purposed materials. We will be supporting staff who are social distancing through more localised manufacturing and outwork.

Continue facilitating the transition towards a circular economy

We will work continually with our partners to ensure that any increased demand can be met, particularly in industries that are likely to see huge increases in surplus textiles and clothing. We will ensure we are prepared and can process, within a circular economy, any increases in demand of industry textile surplus.
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In April we launched the Fare Exchange, a distribution centre in the heart of Bodmin that has since gone on to distribute over 35 tonnes and regularly feeds over 800 people each week. The Fare Exchange acts as a distribution hub supplying food to  other community projects across the county, helping them address the growing need as food poverty increases. In addition to food the Fare Exchange also distributes, Dignity Bags, (hygiene and sanitary products, craft packs for kids, and over the winter will be distributing Halloween kits and stockings to children as well as craft packs for adults
Next in the pipeline is resuming activities that support social inclusion and skill sharing, On October 17th we will be reopening the TeX shop, although this will not be for social activities it will provide a space for the community to Swish again, shop sustainable and access musical instruments for free.
In November we will be resuming TeX workshops, theses will be run virtually, check our Facebook events to help shape these workshops.
Through the fare exchange we help up to 5 community projects each week by providing them with food to distribute across their community, this has helped them meet the increase in demand where it has grown beyond their existing supply.
Through COGS we have also been supporting other community initiatives with mentoring and other support that has led to the launch of community phonelines, new collaborations and funding support.
The Community also came together through the pandemic, making thousands of face coverings, hundreds of wash bags and several other products that were distributed to the NHS and key workers helping them to stay safe and access the products they needed, when they needed them.
We have also put in place the extra capacity that if these products were needed again in a future wave then we can quickly resume their manufacture at scale.
We have recently launched TeX Innovation based at Portreath to support the continued growth and demand for TeX services, products and manufacturing. This new space will allow us to explore new contracts with new suppliers while allowing us to build on our own product lines.
We have also been able to replace the clothing that was being diverted through regular swishing by building on supply of end of use clothing helping us to maintain the volume of waste textiles we divert from landfill and incineration.
​We are faced with new information every day, as it comes in, we continue learning from it to adapt and provide the best support for the community we can. This continues to be a period of unknowns. We are trying to find the best ways that we can serve our community and give everyone the support they need in this uncertain time but, this poses challenges itself, as we quickly make decisions to ensure we can respond to the most important and rapidly changing community needs.

At the start of the pandemic we quickly identified five areas where we could use our expertise and resources to ensure we best position ourselves to meet the changing needs of the present and the future. 

Help make epic happen

We are only able to continue making change through the generous support of our community. You too can make epic happen, helping us to do what we do best and making change for the better across our communities.

Bags of hope

Just £10 can provide a bag that gives back hope and dignity. Filled with essential items to support the most vulnerable in our community.

Feed a family

£25 could feed a family for a week helping lift them from food poverty, reducing financial strain and ensuring that no child goes hungry.

Make a change

£50 will help us to respond to the changing needs of the community so we can work with the them to develop the support they need.

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