Leith Collective founder recognised with Points of Light Award

Sara Thomson, the founder of Leith Collective, has received a Points of Light Award from the Prime Minister.

The awards are made to individuals who make a positive change in their local area. Sara has made a huge difference in the two years since she founded the Leith Collective which provides a place for more than 130 artists to sell their goods. All of the goods are made from recycled, repurposed and reimagined items which would otherwise have gone to landfill.

The Leith Collective is on the upper floor of Ocean Terminal and led to the Clydeside Collective opening in July this year and then the Camdentown Collective in London’s Buck Street Market in September 2021.

Sara was chosen as a UK One Step Greener ambassador and she will tell her story at COP26.

The collective also hosts sustainability workshops, and has run a series of other initiatives to provide wider support for the Leith community, such as a coat exchange in aid of local charities and homeless hostels, and the donation of over a thousand masks for free to schools and charities in the area.

She said: “This is such a genuine honour, I’m absolutely delighted to receive this award. In January 2021 The Leith Collective became the first plastic-free shop of its kind in the UK and since then we’ve seen more and more businesses take the plastic-free pledge. I’m thrilled that awareness of the importance of sustainability is growing and so many people are getting behind the campaign. I hope that by accepting this Points of Light award that others will be inspired to join us in creating a greener future for all.”