The Monthly Edit | Guest Feature | May 2025
Thread Together Clothing Hub
Richmond proudly supported by the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing and Yarra City Council
“It’s a wonderful and unique space that invites the local community to learn, be social and get some brand new clothes!” Laura, Thread Together Retail Officer.
Author: Laura Lana
You may have walked past and thought to yourself “what is this place?”, or you may have heard that Thread Together have clothing hubs but never sure where they were or how they operate. Learning Bank is a facility located on Victoria Street just around the corner from the public housing estate on Elizabeth Street and they are fortunate to house one of two Thread Together Clothing Hubs in Melbourne. Thread Together is a dynamic charity that is helping clothe communities with excess stock from partners all around the country. This brand new clothing is often destined for landfill, Thread Together collect it, and re-distribute it to people in need through a variety of resources.
The team that manage the facility are from City of Yarra’s Economic Development department with three key facilitators; Eliza, Laura and Brenda who is the Venue Operations Officer.
Eliza began her journey with Thread Together back in 2021 when she was given the opportunity to open the space.
“Thread Together originally came to our team at Yarra Libraries, where we commonly engaged with community pop-ups such as markets, festivals and programs. In our small team capacity, we were on the ground handing out clothing items to community. It is certainly not as sophisticated as it is now!”
Eliza has worked tirelessly to engage the community through the various programs on offer at Learning Bank and provides a safe and accessible space for all. She has built a team that work towards the same goals and has created a place where the culture is vibrant, inclusive and a real asset to the local community.
“Through trial and error, we have found a sweet spot where we feel we can give the community what they need and ensure we have capacity to deliver it long-term. We whittled the appointment time down to 45 minutes, provided the option of parcel collection for those who don’t have access to get out due to a range of barriers, and have perfected the volunteer’s role in supporting our program. ”
Laura joined the team in September last year. Coming from running her own fashion design and manufacturing consultancy, this role was the perfect move for her towards her own personal development, endorsing sustainability and helping the community. Having followed Thread Together’s journey since inception, she is passionate about the challenges the industry faces in terms of it’s waste and unethical practices. “Working in the hub is the most rewarding role I have ever had, but also one of the most challenging emotionally. We all engage directly with community members and hear their stories firsthand.”
The hub is run by appointment only and all clients are referred by surrounding organisations. The team work very closely with many of the organisations providing crucial support, in particular, North Richmond Community Health (NRCH). Last month, Laura and the team hosted an event inviting local residents who participate in the Zumba and Line Dancing classes at the NRCH Community Hub over at 110 Elizabeth Street to get some new fun clothing to dance in. The groups each danced their latest routines and shared some chats and laughs over light refreshments.
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The team at Learning Bank all work very hard running various programs, hosting community events and providing greatly appreciated clothing from Thread Together. They rely heavily on volunteer support to ensure the smooth running of the venue and particularly to give community members the best experience possible when engaging in the services.
If you’re looking for a truly rewarding way to connect with and support the community then a volunteering opportunity at the Thread Together Clothing Hub in Richmond may be right for you. There are plenty of opportunities get involved and help make a difference. Submit your application now!
The clothing hub also have corporate volunteer programs, if you are a business owner and keen to get your team involved please contact learningbank@yarracity.vic.gov.au.
