THE LEATHER SURPLUS PROJECT

ABOUT THE PROJECT

This year, Abbey England is working in collaboration with the Leathersellers to support and help implement the Surplus Leather Project.
This project is dedicated to providing access to surplus leather, free of charge, through the generous donations of our UK tanneries. Not only does this project enable students to access a range of locally produced leather of different finishes and colours for their projects, it also encourages the use of a sustainable by-product, fosters an understanding of the material and allows development of key leather working skills, a real asset to future careers in fashion, accessories, footwear or other design disciplines.
The project was successfully piloted back in 2022 and after receiving positive feedback and gratitude from the Universities involved, a decision to run the project once again was agreed by the Leathersellers earlier this year. 
When asked what impact The Surplus Leather Scheme was expected to have on the Universities and its students, The Leathersellers’ Master for 2024-25, Nicholas Tusting  said  “As part of our vision to encourage a thriving, sustainable, and connected leather industry, we’re proud to be working closely with Abbey England to deliver the Surplus Leather Project, which we are now expanding following a successful pilot phase where surplus material was donated by three tannery partners and re-packaged to provide a range of leathers to six higher education partners across the UK.
Its success has meant the Leathersellers’ Foundation has committed additional funding over the course of the next year. This will enable more education partners to offer design and making students the opportunity to learn skills associated with leathercraft, and to discover more about leather as a sustainable and versatile material.”
We are delighted to be a part of this scheme once again.  If your university would like to be a part of the next cohort of education partners or to donate surplus leather, please contact Natalia Rymaszewska NRymaszewska@leathersellers.co.uk.

OUR PARTNERS

This project would not be able to go ahead without the kind donations from the following UK Tanneries. We thank them for their support and the positive contribution towards the leather industry and the higher education system.

C.F. STEAD

__________________________________________

C.F. Stead pride themselves on making the best classic suedes available and in doing so, they have built-long standing relationships with many of the finest shoe and bag manufacturers in the world.

The team at C.F. Stead are constantly seeking to innovate new leathers to meet their customers’ needs and provide them with unique and interesting topical looks to ensure their products stand out in the marketplace, whilst never compromising our unrelenting commitment to produce high quality natural products.

Stead’s are proud to offer a renewable, sustainable, durable, versatile yet beautiful material. At the polar opposite of ‘fast fashion’, their suedes and leathers are designed to be enjoyed for decades, offering classic elegance, durability and repairability.

"C F Stead are proud to be part of the Leathersellers’ scheme ensuring students are able to access genuine leather to enrich their studies and design experience.

 Leather, as the original recycled material, is sustainable, biodegradable, durable, repairable and, most importantly,  beautiful. We feel it’s essential that the next generation of designers and creatives are exposed to the wonderful properties of genuine leathers and learn how to make the most of its unique and varied characteristics."

 Sales Director of C.F. Stead, Andrew Bailey
FIND OUT MORE

SCOTTISH LEATHER GROUP

__________________________________________

When it comes to reducing carbon emissions, Scottish Leather Group lead the global leather industry. Since 2003, it has reduced the carbon intensity of their leather by 90%. It proudly sources all rawhides responsibly and locally, reducing transportation emissions as well as innovating its circular manufacturing process to reduce its carbon footprint.

Scottish Leather Group, the UK's largest leather manufacturer, encompasses Bridge of Weir Leather, Lang, and Muirhead, leading in automotive, aviation, mass transit, and luxury sectors with a focus on environmental sustainability and technical excellence. Customers include Aston Martin, Jaguar Land Rover, British Airways, Singapore Airlines and Philips.

“We continually seek innovative and practical methods to extend the life of our leather, celebrating its natural beauty and emphasizing its durability and versatility.

This opportunity enables us to inspire and support the next generation and show the designers of the future that leather is not just a luxury material but a sustainable and forward-thinking choice. At the same time, it helps us shape the evolving role of leather in contemporary design.”
 
The seventh generation of the Murihead family and CEO of Scottish Leather Group, Nicholas Murihead

FIND OUT MORE

SEDGWICK & CO

__________________________________________

Sedgwick Leather was founded in 1900 and immediately  began supplying leather to the equestrian trade. A century on, Sedgwick Leather is one of the leading leather suppliers of equestrian leather in Walsall and around the globe. Sedgwick Leather produces the best bridle leather in the world which over time, has earnt them a very reputable name across the world.

Sedgwick’s leather is also supplied to high end luxury leather good brand across the world, including Asia and north America.

Sedgwick has always been devoted to crafting leather with provenance. They work with a selected number of UK suppliers, all of whom can provide precise information regarding the age of the animal and where it lived. All the way through their process, Sedgwick consistently have access to information about the hides they use by referring to their unique traceable batch numbers marked on the individual hides.

“ It's important to get quality leather into the hands of as many new makers and designers as possible. In turn, this will help said designers and makers understand the wonderful, diverse properties that leather has. The applications that it can be used for. Then beginning to understand that using this material instead of man made fossil fuel derived products is better for us all. Leather has character, a story and gravatas that is over looked and all too often is derided by people with no actual understanding of what it is. Education is key!”

Michael Crawford, Director of Sedgwick & Co

FIND OUT MORE

WALTHAM TANNERY

__________________________________________

Waltham Tannery has been producing leather hides with uncompromising quality since 1899. Specialising in bovine leather, Waltham Tannery produce various leathers from bovine grain to suede, supplying leather to the orthopedic, shoe, equestrian, fashion, construction and industrial trades.

Decades of tanning expertise is distilled in their small team at Waltham who, by working diligently with only the best raw materials and a range of traditional and modern technology, can tailor-make leather to the desired finish within a short timescale.

“I have been asked to take part in this scheme, as our company is one of the very last UK Leather Producers still in existence today, so being “involved” is important…

The impact I am hoping this scheme will have on the students taking part is to highlight and illustrate the versatility of this wonderful natural product, and even “entice” some of them to want to pursue their interests further and want to be a part of this unique, and, at times “challenging" industry.“

Director of Waltham Tannery, James Boston.

FIND OUT MORE

OUR BENEFICIARIES

The Leathersellers Surplus Leather Project is supporting 7 universities. Hear how the project is benefiting the universities and their students from the course leaders below.
"This partnership offers our students a unique opportunity to engage with the leather industry, gaining hands-on experience that bridges traditional craftsmanship with modern design and sustainability practices. By working with real-world projects, our students will not only enhance their technical skills but also develop a deeper understanding of responsible sourcing and innovation in materials. This collaboration aligns with our goal of preparing students for the evolving demands of the fashion industry, fostering creativity while promoting ethical and sustainable practices."

Joseph Turvey, Birmingham City University
Darla Gilroy,  Associate Dean of Knowledge Exchange
Reader in Fashion and Enterprise, Central Saint Martins
"De Montfort University are indebted to Abbey England and the Leathersellers for their unfailing support of student work throughout the academic year. This has proven to be invaluable and enables leather working viable to students without the prohibitive costs for hides, which can prove to be prohibitive for some students. DMU is the only UK University aligned with the United Nation’s SDG’s for sustainability. We pride ourselves on our vital relationships in the leather industry and having sustainability at our hearts, have worked extensively for some years now to utilise deadstock, upcycled and offcut hides for a breadth of projects across two schools: Fashion & Textiles and Arts, Architecture & Design.  These most welcome donations of hides will continue to encourage the future of leather working in preserving heritage craft skills, design and product development."

Gillian Proctor BA (Hons) M.Des.RCA
Associate Professor, De Montfort University
"The Lethersellers Leather Surplus Project is a really valuable initiative that will help our students at London College of Fashion to become more informed about leather properties and types. Our leather-orientated disciplines include footwear, bags and accessories, jewellery and artefact at both undergraduate and post graduate level. The students are involved in pushing the boundaries in design whilst keeping traditional craftsmanship skills alive. The project will enable the students to access leather samples to do this, which many would find difficult to fund for themselves. We are very appreciative of the Leathersellers support through this very worthwhile endeavour. "

Lindsey Riley,  MA PGCE SFHEA CMgr
Associate Dean, School of Design and Technology, London College of Fashion
"At the RCA Technical spaces, we are growing our Footwear and Accessories department. We now cater for the demand for general leather making. We are upgrading our leather making machinery and currently adding to our masterclasses for leather hand stitching techniques. We are able to cut leather using our Zund machine, and students are experimenting with making new systems of joining (no sew) materials. Having these donations helps us to carry out teaching and exploration into this material, as well as aiding fashion student's to make their final garments from quality leathers. There are students who may be with us on receipt of the Leathersellers bursaries and scholarships especially benefiting and your donations are invaluable to them"
 
"The link we have with the Abbey Leather Surplus Project initiative is highly beneficial for our fashion students and also the wider student community working with this amazing material. Your generous support and donation helps fuel the  students' experimentation with new techniques and form building systems to develop their creative ideas."

 Kelly Duncan , Specialist Technical Instructor in Pattern Cutting & Flora McLean, Senior Tutor in Fashion Footwear Accessories Millinery and Eyewear,  Royal College of Art
"The leather will be used across all year groups within fashion, footwear & accessories. It will enable our first years to explore, experiment and learn about the qualities of this unique material. The second-year students will have access to this for their live project work which will be showcased on the catwalk in June here at UON. The third-year students will be able to select to support their final collections. Many thanks to both Abbey England Ltd and The Leathersellers’ for this opportunity. We have 50 students who will have access to the leather."

Vickie Dean, University of Northampton
"Knowledge of materials and sustainable working practices are key to learning Fashion Design at the University of South Wales. Leather donated to us enables our students to develop skills and appreciation of the creative potential of leather. "

Dr Torunn Kjolberg, PhD, MA, FHEA
Lecturer in Fashion Studies, University of South Wales

THE LEATHER SURPLUS PROJECT

ABOUT THE PROJECT

This year, Abbey England is working in collaboration with the Leathersellers to support and help implement the Surplus Leather Project.
This project is dedicated to providing access to surplus leather, free of charge, through the generous donations of our UK tanneries. Not only does this project enable students to access a range of locally produced leather of different finishes and colours for their projects, it also encourages the use of a sustainable by-product, fosters an understanding of the material and allows development of key leather working skills, a real asset to future careers in fashion, accessories, footwear or other design disciplines.
The project was successfully piloted back in 2022 and after receiving positive feedback and gratitude from the Universities involved, a decision to run the project once again was agreed by the Leathersellers earlier this year. 
When asked what impact The Surplus Leather Scheme was expected to have on the Universities and its students, The Leathersellers’ Master for 2024-25, Nicholas Tusting  said  “As part of our vision to encourage a thriving, sustainable, and connected leather industry, we’re proud to be working closely with Abbey England to deliver the Surplus Leather Project, which we are now expanding following a successful pilot phase where surplus material was donated by three tannery partners and re-packaged to provide a range of leathers to six higher education partners across the UK.
Its success has meant the Leathersellers’ Foundation has committed additional funding over the course of the next year. This will enable more education partners to offer design and making students the opportunity to learn skills associated with leathercraft, and to discover more about leather as a sustainable and versatile material.”
We are delighted to be a part of this scheme once again.  If your university would like to be a part of the next cohort of education partners or to donate surplus leather, please contact Natalia Rymaszewska NRymaszewska@leathersellers.co.uk.

OUR PARTNERS

This project would not be able to go ahead without the kind donations from the following UK Tanneries. We thank them for their support and the positive contribution towards the leather industry and the higher education system.

C.F. STEAD

__________________________________________

C.F. Stead pride themselves on making the best classic suedes available and in doing so, they have built-long standing relationships with many of the finest shoe and bag manufacturers in the world.

The team at C.F. Stead are constantly seeking to innovate new leathers to meet their customers’ needs and provide them with unique and interesting topical looks to ensure their products stand out in the marketplace, whilst never compromising our unrelenting commitment to produce high quality natural products.

Stead’s are proud to offer a renewable, sustainable, durable, versatile yet beautiful material. At the polar opposite of ‘fast fashion’, their suedes and leathers are designed to be enjoyed for decades, offering classic elegance, durability and repairability.

"C F Stead are proud to be part of the Leathersellers’ scheme ensuring students are able to access genuine leather to enrich their studies and design experience.

 Leather, as the original recycled material, is sustainable, biodegradable, durable, repairable and, most importantly,  beautiful. We feel it’s essential that the next generation of designers and creatives are exposed to the wonderful properties of genuine leathers and learn how to make the most of its unique and varied characteristics."

 Sales Director of C.F. Stead, Andrew Bailey
FIND OUT MORE

SCOTTISH LEATHER GROUP

__________________________________________

When it comes to reducing carbon emissions, Scottish Leather Group lead the global leather industry. Since 2003, it has reduced the carbon intensity of their leather by 90%. It proudly sources all rawhides responsibly and locally, reducing transportation emissions as well as innovating its circular manufacturing process to reduce its carbon footprint.

Scottish Leather Group, the UK's largest leather manufacturer, encompasses Bridge of Weir Leather, Lang, and Muirhead, leading in automotive, aviation, mass transit, and luxury sectors with a focus on environmental sustainability and technical excellence. Customers include Aston Martin, Jaguar Land Rover, British Airways, Singapore Airlines and Philips.

“We continually seek innovative and practical methods to extend the life of our leather, celebrating its natural beauty and emphasizing its durability and versatility.

This opportunity enables us to inspire and support the next generation and show the designers of the future that leather is not just a luxury material but a sustainable and forward-thinking choice. At the same time, it helps us shape the evolving role of leather in contemporary design.”
 
The seventh generation of the Murihead family and CEO of Scottish Leather Group, Nicholas Murihead

FIND OUT MORE

SEDGWICK & CO

__________________________________________

Sedgwick Leather was founded in 1900 and immediately  began supplying leather to the equestrian trade. A century on, Sedgwick Leather is one of the leading leather suppliers of equestrian leather in Walsall and around the globe. Sedgwick Leather produces the best bridle leather in the world which over time, has earnt them a very reputable name across the world.

Sedgwick’s leather is also supplied to high end luxury leather good brand across the world, including Asia and north America.

Sedgwick has always been devoted to crafting leather with provenance. They work with a selected number of UK suppliers, all of whom can provide precise information regarding the age of the animal and where it lived. All the way through their process, Sedgwick consistently have access to information about the hides they use by referring to their unique traceable batch numbers marked on the individual hides.

“ It's important to get quality leather into the hands of as many new makers and designers as possible. In turn, this will help said designers and makers understand the wonderful, diverse properties that leather has. The applications that it can be used for. Then beginning to understand that using this material instead of man made fossil fuel derived products is better for us all. Leather has character, a story and gravatas that is over looked and all too often is derided by people with no actual understanding of what it is. Education is key!”

Michael Crawford, Director of Sedgwick & Co

FIND OUT MORE

WALTHAM TANNERY

__________________________________________

Waltham Tannery has been producing leather hides with uncompromising quality since 1899. Specialising in bovine leather, Waltham Tannery produce various leathers from bovine grain to suede, supplying leather to the orthopedic, shoe, equestrian, fashion, construction and industrial trades.

Decades of tanning expertise is distilled in their small team at Waltham who, by working diligently with only the best raw materials and a range of traditional and modern technology, can tailor-make leather to the desired finish within a short timescale.

“I have been asked to take part in this scheme, as our company is one of the very last UK Leather Producers still in existence today, so being “involved” is important…

The impact I am hoping this scheme will have on the students taking part is to highlight and illustrate the versatility of this wonderful natural product, and even “entice” some of them to want to pursue their interests further and want to be a part of this unique, and, at times “challenging" industry.“

Director of Waltham Tannery, James Boston.

FIND OUT MORE

OUR BENEFICIARIES

The Leathersellers Surplus Leather Project is supporting 7 universities. Hear how the project is benefiting the universities and their students from the course leaders below.
"This partnership offers our students a unique opportunity to engage with the leather industry, gaining hands-on experience that bridges traditional craftsmanship with modern design and sustainability practices. By working with real-world projects, our students will not only enhance their technical skills but also develop a deeper understanding of responsible sourcing and innovation in materials. This collaboration aligns with our goal of preparing students for the evolving demands of the fashion industry, fostering creativity while promoting ethical and sustainable practices."

Joseph Turvey, Birmingham City University
"Using donated materials enables students to work with high-quality, existing resources, allowing them to explore sustainable practices without the added environmental impact of newly manufactured materials and reduces the cost of study.  Working with leather has helped them engage with traditional craftsmanship while developing contemporary approaches to a culture of repair. By incorporating leather into their creative process, our students are creating objects with longevity and value. ”

Darla Gilroy, Associate Dean of Knowledge Exchange
Reader in Fashion and Enterprise, Central Saint Martins
"De Montfort University are indebted to Abbey England and the Leathersellers for their unfailing support of student work throughout the academic year. This has proven to be invaluable and enables leather working viable to students without the prohibitive costs for hides, which can prove to be prohibitive for some students. DMU is the only UK University aligned with the United Nation’s SDG’s for sustainability. We pride ourselves on our vital relationships in the leather industry and having sustainability at our hearts, have worked extensively for some years now to utilise deadstock, upcycled and offcut hides for a breadth of projects across two schools: Fashion & Textiles and Arts, Architecture & Design.  These most welcome donations of hides will continue to encourage the future of leather working in preserving heritage craft skills, design and product development."

Gillian Proctor BA (Hons) M.Des.RCA
Associate Professor, De Montfort University
"The Lethersellers Leather Surplus Project is a really valuable initiative that will help our students at London College of Fashion to become more informed about leather properties and types. Our leather-orientated disciplines include footwear, bags and accessories, jewellery and artefact at both undergraduate and post graduate level. The students are involved in pushing the boundaries in design whilst keeping traditional craftsmanship skills alive. The project will enable the students to access leather samples to do this, which many would find difficult to fund for themselves. We are very appreciative of the Leathersellers support through this very worthwhile endeavour. "

Lindsey Riley,  MA PGCE SFHEA CMgr
Associate Dean, School of Design and Technology, London College of Fashion
"At the RCA Technical spaces, we are growing our Footwear and Accessories department. We now cater for the demand for general leather making. We are upgrading our leather making machinery and currently adding to our masterclasses for leather hand stitching techniques. We are able to cut leather using our Zund machine, and students are experimenting with making new systems of joining (no sew) materials. Having these donations helps us to carry out teaching and exploration into this material, as well as aiding fashion student's to make their final garments from quality leathers. There are students who may be with us on receipt of the Leathersellers bursaries and scholarships especially benefiting and your donations are invaluable to them"
 
"The link we have with the Abbey Leather Surplus Project initiative is highly beneficial for our fashion students and also the wider student community working with this amazing material. Your generous support and donation helps fuel the  students' experimentation with new techniques and form building systems to develop their creative ideas."

 Kelly Duncan , Specialist Technical Instructor in Pattern Cutting & Flora McLean, Senior Tutor in Fashion Footwear Accessories Millinery and Eyewear,  Royal College of Art
"The leather will be used across all year groups within fashion, footwear & accessories. It will enable our first years to explore, experiment and learn about the qualities of this unique material. The second-year students will have access to this for their live project work which will be showcased on the catwalk in June here at UON. The third-year students will be able to select to support their final collections. Many thanks to both Abbey England Ltd and The Leathersellers’ for this opportunity. We have 50 students who will have access to the leather."

Vickie Dean, University of Northampton
"Knowledge of materials and sustainable working practices are key to learning Fashion Design at the University of South Wales. Leather donated to us enables our students to develop skills and appreciation of the creative potential of leather. "

Dr Torunn Kjolberg, PhD, MA, FHEA
Lecturer in Fashion Studies, University of South Wales

RESOURCES

For resources and guides, head over to the Leathersellers who have partnered with Leather Naturally, to produce an in-depth guide to leather.

Click HERE.