On Monday 16th September , the Friends of Hope Foundation , one of our new beneficiaries, took our team of volunteers to visit 2 of the schools that our funding supports. The buzz of excitement was exhilarating. The experience was heart warming , moving  and left a lasting impact. Our…

When I think of Chic Mamas I feel -  pure joy.   Chic Mamas is a  warm, friendly, affirming environment filled with welcoming smiles, helpfulness and affirmations.  Volunteering here is never a chore, never a matter of  -   oh no it’s my shift today - in fact,  most of the volunteers…

The Japanese word “Ikigai” has entered the global lexicon and closely describes my Chic Mamas experience. Over more than a decade, I have evolved from a regular Customer, to a Volunteer and most recently a Trustee. I can truly say that Chic Mamas found me and not the other way…

While the circular economy has been studied since the 70s, the first circular economy action plan was adopted by the European Commission in 2015. Defined by the Ellen Macarthur Foundation as a "systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution", the circular economy is…

  We have just come out the other end after The Big Sale for Vintage with Love at the end of September 2022. What an incredible experience it was again & just so good to be back in a public space with all our supporters.   Chic Mamas are proud…

Recently, a large study concluded in the UK revealed that being born in poverty often determines how your life will play out, what opportunities you will have, and your quality of life. Unless you have people who believe in you and uplift you as a person holistically – giving you…

The concept of sustainability as we know it today came to light in 1987 in the famous Brundtland Report produced by several countries for the UN. It was defined as meeting 'the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'. For the…

Since 2010, we've been sorting thousands, if not millions, of fashion garments. Last year was a particularly busy year at our shops, resulting in a wonderful and generous flow of donations. Today, we’ve grown into a fully-fledged real textile, garment and fabric recycling depot and the pillars of REDUCE–REUSE–RECYCLE are…

As we find ourselves in somewhat of an awards season recognising and celebrating social entrepreneurship, we felt compelled to write about what being a social entrepreneur is all about. Broadly, social entrepreneurship is explained as ‘developing, funding, and implementing solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues’. She.Leads.Africa published an article unpacking the ‘4 things…

Welcome to our ‘Half Year Blog Report’ We've reached our financial mid-year and the past six months have been a whirlwind of change and memorable milestones. 2021 will be remembered for so many reasons, many of which aren't necessarily positive as people navigated the second and third wave of Covid,…

An interview in Retailing Africa on 21 May 2021 Chic Mamas Do Care is a South African volunteer-based, purpose-led brand founded on sustainable fashion, intent on supporting educational development projects to help break the cycle of poverty in SA. It was founded in 2010 by Abigél Sheridan in her living room…

Volunteering – to give or to receive?  By Kathy Cassells volunteer /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə/ work for an organization without being paid. "volunteering is an easy way to get involved in practical conservation" Looking at the definition of what a volunteer is or volunteering to do something it is quite clear that to…

Welcome to our double digit years and a brand new website! We are very excited to celebrate with you this amazing milestone, which means so much to us. Let me bring you back to the very beginning of our existence and how we started our mission… In 2010, we hosted…