Libby Mackay from the Libby Mackay Craft Shop,Great Homer Street
WHEN Libby Mackay boards her flight to Cambodia
today, she’ll be carrying a suitcase packed with essentials: a pair of
sparkly trainers and almost 600 toothbrushes.
The toothbrushes will be given out to desperately poor children living in rural parts of the country – but the trainers?
"They’re just so I don’t look like some kind of mad toothbrush-carrying missionary!" laughs Libby.
For the 67-year-old from Anfield, two weeks with the Teams 4U organisation will be her first foreign aid adventure.
But her quirky fashion choice of luggage seems entirely appropriate, given the reason behind it.
She was volunteered for the trip by her daughter, designer Kirsty
Doyle, who had planned to go with her to the impoverished outskirts of
Phnom Penh.
"Kirsty signed me up for it, and her sister Jessica, and all three of us would have loved to have gone together.
"But they can’t do it now because of work commitments, so I thought I’d do it on my own," says Libby.
Although she’s originally from Paisley, near Glasgow, Libby worked
in adult education in Liverpool from 1975 to 2010 when she retired.
Latterly, from 1989 onwards, she was at the Rotunda promoting education.
"I absolutely loved it and I was passionate about it, so when I left
I needed something that was as challenging," she explains. "To be
honest, I still haven’t found it quite yet, but I think that’s why
Kirsty thought this trip would suit me because they knew I was looking
for a project to get involved with.
"Originally we were going to go out there with a different group,
but the dates didn’t coincide with ours, and then I met Dave Cooke
through the Rotary Club where I’m a member and I decided to go with his
Teams 4U organisation instead."
Teams 4U was set up by Dave in 2006 to give people who want to help
vulnerable children around the world the opportunity to give more than
just money.
In Cambodia, Libby and her fellow volunteers will run art and craft
sessions for youngsters, with pens, pencils and materials they’re
taking.
"What we do is get them involved in fun things and play, and then we
introduce the hygiene aspect and bring in the toothbrushes so it’s a fun
way of educating them," she says.
"I’ve managed to collect 565 toothbrushes so far and there’s more to
come. They didn’t tell us how many, so I’ve just kept going. I feel as
though I’m going to have a toothbrush for every child in Cambodia!"
Libby says she’s excited about the project, despite the awful conditions which await.
"The first thing we do when we arrive is go to the Killing Fields,
so that’s not going to be an easy start and I’m honestly not sure how
I’m going to react or even if I’ll be able to cope with it. I know they
live in abject poverty, and I’m sure there’ll be a few tears, but I’ve
been told it’s a life- changing experience.
"I really want, this first time, to do a bit of a recce and see if there’s anything more I can get involved in for the future.
"Some people go every year, so hopefully there might be something I
can do to maintain some kind of contact and next time go with Kirsty and
Jess because they’ve got fantastic skills they could share with the
children."
Both fashion entrepreneur Kirsty and Jess, a design graduate from
Central St Martins, take after their mum when it comes to creativity and
drive.
Libby learned sewing skills from her own mum, and once she retired she was keen to pass them on beyond her own family.
Along with a group of other women, she opened Libby Mackay’s Craft,
in Great Homer Street – where Kirsty also began her fashion career.
"Leaving work left a big hole in my life that needed to be filled, so I started the shop making children’s clothes.
"It’s a business which defies definition really," she smiles. "We’re
a group of women who love to make clothes, but have no children in the
family to make them for any more. So we run a non-profit shop through
the week, on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
"Not everyone has the money for designer clothes, so we’re not
competing with Primark, but we are offering people something a bit
different that is affordable."
When she returns from Cambodia, Libby has plans to expand the enterprise to involve children from the north Liverpool area.
"I don’t think enough children are taught dressmaking and sewing at school now," she explains.
"I have an 11-year-old whose nan comes into the shop, who comes in
on holidays and Saturdays to learn how to use the sewing machines. To be
that young and that skilled is amazing, and it’s such a useful thing to
have, so we really want to do more of that."
Fashion is clearly in their genes, although Libby jokes that for the
next fortnight there will definitely be more focus on practicality over
style.
"My suitcase is so full of things for the children, I’ve had to just
take a few things I can mix and match for myself," she says. "There’ll
be no designer clothes on this trip – just me in my zipped-off trousers
and sparkly trainers!"
To get in touch with Libby about the craft shop and children’s sessions, email libby mackaycraft@ hotmail.com
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