Frugi hits 1 million pound milestone for charity

Sustainable children’s clothing brand Frugi has hit the 1 million pound mark for its Little Clothes Big Change charity project, an initiative launched in 2016 where the business commits 1 percent of its yearly turnover, whether it makes a profit or not.

By raising 1 million pounds for charity, it means that Frugi has sold more than 100 million pounds worth of GOTS certified organic clothing since the brand’s inception in 2004. Currently, 85 percent of Frugi’s products are made of GOTS cotton, while the remaining 15 percent of products are made from old polyethylene (PET) plastic bottles that have been spun into yarn to make a durable, waterproof fabric for outerwear, accessories, and swimwear.

Lucy Jewson, founder of Frugi, said in a statement: “We are proud of lots of things we’ve achieved at Frugi - but we’re probably the proudest of this! 1 million pounds is a very significant amount for a small company in Cornwall to have raised for charity, all before our 18th Birthday.

“We created Frugi to prove that a brand could be a powerful instigator of change and that there was far more about business than just the ‘bottom line’. Being part of the 1 percent for the Planet movement, and then creating Little Clothes Big Change, has allowed us to continue donating to charities that are making a difference at a grassroots level, all whilst growing the Frugi brand.”

As part of Frugi’s wider mission to protect the planet, its ethos has always revolved around giving back, especially to environmental charities and those that are focused on children. The children’s clothing brand has backed many causes across its three pillars - hunger, shelter and nature, and currently is supporting Eco-Schools and LEAF, both chosen as they encourage kids to connect with nature and improve their environment both at school and in the local community.

Since 2020, Frugi has funded the Eco-Schools Green Flag certification fees for 150 schools across England as well as training for 500 teachers to become Eco-Coordinators with Eco-Schools.

Sarah Clark, chief executive of Frugi, added: “This is a hugely proud moment for our Frugi family. Pledging 1 percent of turnover for charity is firmly set in our brand’s DNA and we wouldn’t change it for the world. It is a powerful commitment to give back whether we make a profit or not.

“Our 1 percent donations are used to create change for both our planet and its people, and to help protect the planet we play on. This has always been at the heart of Frugi and will always inform the choices that we make and the causes that we support.”

The Frugi group also owns TotsBots reusable nappies and Bloom and Nora reusable sanitary products, and since 2021 it has also included these two brands in the 1 percent turnover pledge.

Frugi was founded in 2004 by Kurt and Lucy Jewson after they struggled to find sustainable clothes to fit over reusable nappies. It has grown into one of the UK’s leading ethical and organic children’s clothing brands available to buy online from welovefrugi.com and over 550 retailers globally in 30 countries. The full range includes new-born to ten years with Frugi Bloom, a twinning, maternity, and breastfeeding range.