VIRGIN Trains has handed over its old uniforms to a prison to be recycled by its textiles team.

This follows the launch last year of Virgin Trains’ new body-neutral uniform range designed by sustainable fashion designers Gerardine and Wayne Hemingway for every gender, size and shape across both the East and West Coast.

Approximately 30 million tonnes of corporate wear are sent to landfill each year in the UK. In an effort to provide a solution to this, Virgin Trains’ old uniforms are being transformed into new items by prisoners at HMP Northumberland in the prison’s onsite textiles factory. The partnership is part of a rehabilitation scheme that helps to prepare prisoners for life outside, in an effort to reduce reoffending rates.

The initiative developed by Virgin Trains and HMP Northumberland (supported by Hubbub), will see prisoners transforming the old uniforms into items such as blankets, bags and coats to help those living on the streets.

"The upcycled garments are being donated to local homeless charity, The Albert Kennedy Trust which supports young LGBT homeless people in crisis, HMP Askham Grange and Virgin Trains’ charity partner, Rethink Mental Illness.

On receiving the old uniforms, Steven Goodacre, Head of Business Development at HMP Northumberland, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Virgin Trains on its uniform upcycling initiative.

"Not only is it great to be giving back to local and national homeless charities, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity for our offenders within the establishment to learn new skills which will help them once they have been released, while also decreasing the likelihood of reoffending.”