The Melksham Community Reusable Bag

The Melksham Community Reusable Bag was designed by pupils at The George Ward School during their Techology Week in June 2008. The Twelve teams were briefed by Scott Aldersley of MCFG at the beginning of the week and then members of MCFG judged all of the excellent work before deciding on the winning design. The production of the bags was commissioned through Vandanamu and the bags made by Sathya Handicrafts which was set up in April 2005, in the tsunami-devastated fishing village of Chinnamudaliar Chavadi, near Pondicherry in South-East India. Its purpose is to provide livelihood support for survivors, giving them training and fair wages, in good working conditions. Sathya Handicrafts currently provides employment for twelve women, some of them on a part-time basis. They mostly make screen-printed cotton bags, to designs sent to them from the UK and the Channel Islands.

The bags are now available in Melksham and are sold at the cost price of £1.10 each.The bags can be bought from Peacocks, the Tourist Information Centre, the Library and George Ward School.