Make it British was launched 10 years ago by ex-retail buyer, Kate Hills, and since its launch the campaign’s site has been visited by more than 6.5 million people looking to buy UK made products and searching for British manufacturers (with an increase of 68% since the UK left the EU’s single market and customs union).
This year is a first with the creation of Made in UK Day on 9th March. Kate Hills comments: “It has never been more important to buy products that are made in the UK and support local manufacturing. By pledging to buy products that are made in the UK you are lowering your carbon footprint, saving essential skills, helping local economies and creating job opportunities. We want everyone to get behind Made in UK Day to celebrate the wonderful makers we have here.”
Leeds-based luxury lingerie brand, Something Wicked, is taking part in this new initiative and MD Steff McGrath, has long shared their belief. “A core ethos that perpetuates everything we do here at Something Wicked is that we can’t empower women in one country by exploiting them in another.” The brand is 100% manufactured in the UK, run by and made for women with details such hand-forged chain, leather accessories by a female saddler in St Albans and even natural leather polish and conditioner made by an award winning beekeeper in South London – everything has been meticulously sourced to rely only on British manufacturers and artisans.
UK manufacturing is currently worth £192 billion to the UK economy and employs 2.7 million people – more than 65 million people live here and if everyone bought just one item made in the UK worth £20 on 9th March it would come in at £1.3 billion!
