The City Council of the British city of Leicester, a major garment hub serving Boohoo and others, has welcomed the creation of a new federation of textile and garment manufacturers.

The new Clothing and Textile Manufacturers Federation (ATMF) was officially launched on July 18 in Parliament. It was created to help revive the historic textile and garment manufacturing trade in Leicester, and with the aim of building a more ethical and sustainable textile sector.

Acting as the voice of industry suppliers, the ATMF aims to support the apparel supply chain in compliance, auditing and safeguarding jobs through collaborative partnerships.

“We are delighted that the UK government recognizes our efforts in Leicester and beyond to support textile and clothing manufacturers,” said Sajjad Khan, Founder of ATMF. “It is a great honor to have had the opportunity to launch the Federation in the House of Commons and it only adds to the seriousness of our mission.”

“We already have the support of a lot of companies across the supply chain, so we know there is a very real need to create a strong supplier voice,” Khan added. “We have also secured local support from high profile organizations including Leicester City Council, De Montfort University and the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership. ATMF aims to promote the “Leicester brand” as part of “Made in UK”.

Shehzad Valli, ATMF member and clothing manufacturer from Leicester, said the launch of ATMF marks an important step in the revitalization of the city’s textile sector.

“We want the city to be at the forefront of national gains for the industry and we are committed to making that happen,” Valli said. “We are now calling on the UK government, national and international bodies and major brands to support our efforts.”

The City Council noted that the Deputy Mayor of the City of Leicester, Adam Clarke, has led innovative work to bring together partners across the city to help address issues in the garment industry. This has included setting up the Leicester Labor Market Partnership after a meeting hosted by the city’s mayor in 2017, publishing an annual report to document progress and investing 300,000 ($360,000) in a new academy of fashion technologies, led by Fashion-Enter to increase skills and good practices.

With funding from the UK Community Renewal Fund, the City Council and its partners Fashion-Enter and De Montfort University have also set up a coordinated support program for local textile manufacturers and workers.

“Engaging manufacturers as a meaningful voice for the textile industry has been an aspiration for some time and is a huge step forward,” Clarke added. “I commend everyone involved for stepping up and showing such leadership, especially in these difficult times. Leicester’s strong heritage in garment manufacturing puts the city in an excellent position to lead a resurgence in clothing. industry, but this can only be done ethically by working together. This innovative new federation is an essential part as we integrate Leicester as a place offering well-paid and highly skilled jobs, producing incredible clothing in environments of quality work.

ATMF was created with the help of Justice in Fashion, a workers’ rights charity. It will act as a national professional body representing the collective business, legal and ethical interests of its members. ATMF will also work with businesses, NGOs, governments, academics and labor groups to pave the way for Leicester’s re-establishment as a safe and ethical global manufacturing hub.