Vicky Putler – Founder / Director
Vicky Putler started The Flax Project in April 2020. Her vision is a sustainable, green, UK textiles/fibre industry – from field to fabric, a flax processing hub for the SWUK and a local linen with a parallel slow textiles education programme, a community built around local textiles. She previously ran a hand screen-printed linen business, Thorody, with her husband Theo, for 10 years, and this was what led to her to attempt to revive the UK linen industry.
Rudolph Archer – Director
Flax Project C.I.C is delighted to announce the appointment of Rudolph Archer as a director. Rudolph is a local gardener with a background in chefing, international projects and community development. Passionate about sustainability, Rudolph has a particular interest in diversity and inclusion – celebrating our differences whilst finding the commonalities which unite people. Through the Flax Project, Rudolph has enjoyed making connections with local people and community groups, and is enjoying exploring heritage crafts, whilst reflecting on his own Jamaican heritage.
Governance
In April 2023 the Flax Project became a Community Interest Company, Flax Project C.I.C. Our constitution is available on request.
While we move forward to producing a commercial local linen, it is crucial that we establish financial sustainability. To that end we have a created a mixed income stream consisting of affordable educational workshops for the general public in all things to do with flax, heritage crafts and textiles and sales of flax and textile related wares. We also seek grant funding for our community offer. This might be free textile workshops for the local community or flax growing projects with specific community groups.
Every sale of a workshop place or successful grant bid goes towards supporting the long-term aims of Flax Project C.I.C.