A WOODLEY resident has been using her unusual lockdown hobby to raise money for a good cause.
Kerry Kingston, owner of crafts business Ciara Daisy, started upcycling pet food wrappers last year in a bid to prevent them going to landfill.
After turning the litter into a range of handbags, purses and more, she now plans to sell them and donate some of the profit to a much-loved animal charity.
“I work at Craft Coop in Camberley which often collects non-recyclable waste, like crisp packets and pet food pouches,” Ms Kingston explained.
“At the start of the first lockdown, they asked me if I could do anything with these pouches which were building up, so I decided to give crafting a go.”
Taking to her sewing machine, she began stitching the wrappers together to create a range of unique products.
And she said it’s thanks to the local community in Sonning that the project was able to go ahead, relying on residents in neighbouring villages to donate the pouches.
“The large tote bags use about 40 pet food packets,” Ms Kingston explained. “So I knew I needed to find a regular source.
“I posted on a Sonning Facebook group and got a really favourable response — about half a dozen people have kindly started donating regularly.”
Now, the Woodley resident is thinking about donating proceeds from selling the bags, which went up for sale earlier this month, to the Diana Brimblecombe Animal Rescue Centre in Hurst.
“I want to help because the pandemic has made it hard for the charity to raise money,” Ms Kingston said.
“I thought it would be nice to support a local cause, and I hope it incentivises people to keep donating the pouches to me.”
And this is not the first time she has raised money for charity.
Over the past year, Ciara Daisy has taken on a range of projects, including selling face masks to raise money for the Royal British Legion in September.
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But Ms Kingston hopes this latest project will have numerous benefits, including supporting the environment.
“These pet food pouches can’t be recycled, and that’s a big problem for me,” she explained.
“Think about how many people have cats or dogs, and put these pouches straight in the bin.
“If we can avoid sending them to landfill and do something for the environment, that can only be a good thing.”
Ms Kingston is now hoping residents want to invest in her crafts, and said the project has made her feel like a part of the community.
“One positive of the pandemic is that it’s made me feel like a member of the community, and it’s given me the chance to give back where I can,” she added.
“In everything I do, I always want to give some of it back to charity.
“It also feels nice to do something where I get to meet local people and help the environment too.”
Ms Kingston’s new range can now be found in Camberley Coop, or can be purchased through Ciara Daisy’s Facebook page.
