On Tuesday 10 March, Harry Sanderson, Project Lead for Operation Upcycle, had the pleasure of attending the Help for Heroes International Women’s Day event at Drapers’ Hall in London.

It was a fantastic opportunity to connect with other partners, ambassadors and patrons, and to hear from an inspiring panel including Lady Peta Cavendish, Donna Sinnick, Georgie Smith and Julie-Anne Fulford. Their insights highlighted the importance of celebrating women in all walks of life and recognising the many different journeys and experiences that shape us.

This year’s theme, “Give to Gain”, really resonated with the work we’re doing through Operation Upcycle. Our project brings together veterans, students and partners to reimagine military uniforms at the end of their service life. This project is a true collaboration, it's been developed alongside our partners and we're grateful to them for sharing their enthusiasm, expertise and experience to help us bring new life to military uniforms and honour the people who wore them while considering their impact on people and the planet.

One moment that stood out was when Help for Heroes Ambassador Georgie Smith spoke about identity and uniform. In the military, what you wear each day is simple – your uniform becomes part of who you are and when leaving the forces, that changes. Suddenly you’re faced with choices many of us take for granted, even something as simple as deciding what to wear.

It’s a powerful reminder of how deeply clothing can shape our identity and something we’re looking forward to exploring with students in our upcoming workshop on Monday 16th March at the Winchester School of Art.

Through Operation Upcycle, we hope to help give military uniforms a new purpose, while creating conversations about identity, sustainability and the stories behind the clothing we wear.