Collaboratory Researcher Profiles
Project Title: Scoping Inclusive Sustainability Through Charnwood Eco Hub: Building Community Partnerships in Loughborough East
What were you doing (e.g. type of work/study) before your PhD/Placement?
For some time now, I have been working as a lecturer in fashion, textiles, sustainability, and design across Further Education and Higher Education institutions in the UK. Alongside my teaching practice, I am involved in education and research projects, capacity-building programmes and activism through Fashion Revolution, where I lead the Czech Republic office.
What are you researching?
My research project, Scoping Inclusive Sustainability Through Charnwood Eco Hub: Building Community Partnerships in Loughborough East, explores how the Charnwood Eco Hub makerspace can develop into a genuinely inclusive and accessible community space. The project focuses on mapping local stakeholders and networks, identifying barriers to participation, and exploring how sustainability initiatives can be designed and delivered in more inclusive and participatory ways.
What motivated you to apply for this specific Placement project?
I was drawn to this placement because it brings together everything I care about in my work – systemic transformation, education, creativity, and community engagement. I am particularly interested in how spaces like makerspaces can become more open and genuinely accessible to different communities, rather than feeling exclusive or difficult to access. The collaborative and applied nature of the project was also a key motivation.
Why do you think this research is important?
This research is important because sustainability spaces are not always designed in ways that feel accessible or inclusive to everyone. Makerspaces and community hubs have huge potential to support creativity, learning, and connection, but only if people genuinely feel they belong in them. This project is about helping to shift that, towards more open, community-led, and inclusive approaches.
What difference do you hope to make in Leicester/Loughborough through this research?
I hope this research helps strengthen local partnerships and supports more inclusive ways of engaging communities with sustainability and creative practice. Ideally, it will contribute to shaping the Eco Hub as a space where more people feel welcome, represented, and able to take part in meaningful ways.
What do you hope to be doing in five years time? (personally and/or professionally)
In the future, I want to continue working across fashion and textiles education, creative practice, and design research, with a strong focus on systemic change within education and beyond. Alongside all of that, I’m considering applying for a PhD within the next five years as part of my longer-term path.