Reloved Boutique celebrates double recognition for community impact and sustainability

Our Reloved Boutique has secured two more major accolades in its first year, marking a significant milestone for the College’s commitment to sustainability and community impact. 

The boutique, which opened in November 2024 as both a preloved clothing shop and a hands-on sustainable education hub for students from the College’s Learning for Living and Work department, has achieved Standard and Commended Status in the Sustainable Energy First Award for Education for Sustainable Development at this year’s Beacon Awards. It has also been awarded Highly Commended in the Business Community Impact Award category at the 2025 Barnsley and Rotherham Chamber Business Awards. 

Reloved Boutique was created to support the circular economy while providing practical learning opportunities for students. The shop sells high-quality second-hand clothing, shoes and accessories donated by staff, students and local residents. It is operated by staff and students from the College’s Learning for Living and Work programmes, who gain experience in retail operations, customer service, stock management and marketing. 

Since opening, the boutique has raised more than £4,500 for local charities and saved over 2,000 items from landfill. These achievements have been central to its growing reputation as a model for education-led sustainability. The recognition from both the AoC Beacon Awards and the Chamber Awards highlights the positive contribution the boutique is making to Barnsley’s community and its developing role as a hub for sustainable practice.  

The two commendations, and previous recognition in the UK and Ireland Green Gown Awards, celebrate not just the shop’s environmental impact but its wider social value. Reloved Boutique has strengthened community links, offered inclusive and meaningful work experience for students and promoted long-term behaviour change around reuse and waste reduction. 

The boutique’s early success positions it as a leading example of how colleges can weave sustainability into education, community engagement and everyday practice. Its next steps will shape how it continues to grow as a practical learning space and a driver of positive change in Barnsley and beyond.  

Sasha Beswick, Head of Sustainability at Barnsley College, said: “Reloved Boutique shows what is possible when sustainability, education and community purpose come together.  

“The recognition we have received in our first year reflects the hard work of our staff and students, as well as the generosity of everyone who donates and shops with us. Reloved is more than a boutique. It is a dynamic learning environment where students build confidence and skills, and where sustainable choices become part of everyday life.  

“We are proud of what has been achieved so far, and we are committed to growing the project, so it continues to benefit our students, our community and the environment.”