Heads up – this Friday 17th February is #randomactsofkindnessday, a chance to make someone’s day, week, month, or year with a small positive act of kindness. There are so many ways to be kind, such as paying for a stranger’s coffee or taking some muffins into work, just simple things that can set in a motion a brighter, happier day for all.
A recent act of kindness for Y.O.U underwear was when Sarah, our CEO & Founder, visited Cherwell School in Oxford to participate in a World of Work Day to inspire 6th form students to pursue working for a sustainable employer. Sarah challenged the students to design a fashion item that could make a difference and was impressed with the innovative, kind and caring schemes suggested, such as “Warm Streetz” - upcycling old clothes into insulating jackets for homeless people in the winter months - and SwimStainable – a recycled swimwear brand supporting different charities. There were so many brilliant altruistic ideas!
Read on to learn how kindness underpins all of the work at Y.O.U underwear….
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Kindness is the key to our brand, We're the highest-scoring B Corp in the UK, showing that we value putting purpose, people and planet above profit.
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Increase access to education and employment for vulnerable women and girls. We partner with Just a Drop to donate £1 from every sale of a menstrual cup, in support of their Menstrual Hygiene Programme in the Wakiso District of Uganda. In this region, girls miss between 8 and 24 days of school each year, equating to around 14% of the school year, with a further 2.5% of girls having to drop out of school completely. The programme enables children across three schools to produce, market and manage the production of reusable sustainable menstrual pads and soap. This method helps girls to manage their periods hygienically and with dignity whilst at school.
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Nobody is exploited in our supply chain. We work with Rajlakshmi Cotton Mills, who are India's leading ethical and sustainable manufacturer and we know that the growers, spinners and makers who produce our underwear are paid and treated fairly. This includes no child labour, working hour compliance, minimum wage compliance, overtime compensation and incentives, rights of Freedom of Association, and no discrimination for race, age, sex, political opinion or religion.
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Do something kind for the environment – We encourage our customers to save their old undies from going to landfill, you can drop off your old underwear, socks and tights (all brands accepted!) for recycling with TerraCycle at our Y.O.U Oxford Shop.
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Never stop helping others – We partner with Scottish charity Smalls For All, donating two pairs of underwear for every pair sold from our core collection. Smalls for All collect and distribute underwear to vulnerable women and children across Africa and the UK. Smalls donate 3 pairs of pants as a bundle - one to wear, one to wash and one to dry, making a great difference to someone in need.
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Embrace ethical marketing – We actively promote body positivity and are committed to showing an inclusive and diverse range of people in our images, and promise never to airbrush our images. We use models aged 18 to 80, sizes 8 to 18 and models with disabilities (visible and hidden) in our photoshoots.
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Save animals – All our classically stylish underwear is made from super-soft organic Fairtrade cotton and is PETA-approved vegan and cruelty free.
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Save the planet – At Y.O.U underwear, we only use low-impact, fibre-reactive GOTS certified organic dyes, which use less water, contain no toxic substances, produce less waste runoff than conventional chemical dyeing processes and are kinder to the environment.
Did you enjoy this Kindness blog post? Read similar ones here:
10 Ideas for Random Acts of Kindness Day
All of our Underwear is Vegan and Cruelty-Free!
