Patrick Grant joins us as Patron

We are delighted to announce that, following his recent visit to the Rescue, Patrick Grant has been appointed as our first Patron.  Best known for his role as a judge on hit BBC One show The Great British Sewing Bee, Patrick is also the founder of ethical British clothing brand Community Clothing and author of Less, his book about the damaging effects of overconsumption. 

Penny Hunt, Co-Founder of Craven Wildlife Rescue, says: “We have long admired Patrick’s work and values and the powerful way in which he advocates for the planet, so we are thrilled that he has agreed to be our Patron. He’s extremely passionate about the natural world and its preservation and protection, so we are looking forward to working together to create an even bigger voice for wildlife.”

Jane Carpenter, Co-Founder of Craven Wildlife Rescue, adds: “With wildlife facing unprecedented threats, we want to be able to open our doors to more sick and injured animals and also increase our work within the community. However, this provides us with a number of logistical challenges, not least our accommodation which, at the moment, is temporary.  We believe that passionate and influential advocates like Patrick can help us in our mission to expand the work we do and we are thrilled to be working with him.”

Founded in 2019, Craven Wildlife Rescue became a charity in 2024. Earlier this year, it confirmed the appointment of three new Trustees, bringing a wide range of additional experience to the Board. Penny Hunt, Co-founder, joined from the arts and education sectors; Pat Porter joined from the charity and mental health sectors; and Jill Franklin from the broadcasting and PR sectors.  At the same time, it appointed Sarah Brown, a Chartered Accountant, as Treasurer.

Patrick Grant comments: “Being connected to wildlife, whether it's in my garden, or out in the countryside, has always been a huge contributor to my happiness. Living between a National Park and a National Landscape I am lucky to be surrounded by incredible nature.  But the harm that comes to that wildlife through our actions, whether it's our cars, the pesticides and other chemicals we use in our gardens or farms, or strimmers and mowers, breaks my heart. I've followed Craven Wildlife Rescue through their Instagram for years, so getting the chance to see just how brilliant the team are, see how much they’ve done with such meagre resources, and to understand the extraordinary skill and dedication that goes into caring for so many animals was an absolute pleasure. Jane, Penny and their 30-strong team of volunteers are superheroes and I’m thrilled to be working with them to do what I can to help their increasingly vital work.”

Patrick with Co-founders Penny Hunt (to his left), Jane Carpenter (to his right) and members of the 30-strong team of volunteers, on his recent visit to the Rescue

Patrick lives in North Yorkshire and works in Blackburn in Lancashire. He studied Material Science and Engineering at Leeds University and has always been fascinated with the way things are made, which led him into a career in clothing and tailoring.  In 2005 he purchased Savile Row bespoke tailor Norton & Sons, which he successfully revitalised. Ten years later he purchased historic Lancashire clothing manufacturer Cookson & Clegg, saving it from closure. Thinking about how to revive it he formed the idea behind Community Clothing, his campaigning clothes brand which supports local clothing and textile manufacturers across the UK.  Patrick is an outspoken advocate for radical change in the fashion and clothing industry, moving beyond sustainable to circular and regenerative.

Patrick’s career in fashion has spanned almost two decades. In that time he has rebuilt the Savile Row tailor Norton & Sons, relaunched E. Tautz for which he won Menswear Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, and built the most successful designer collaboration in Debenham’s history with Hammond & Co. He has worked with some of the world’s best known brands including Cartier, Rolls Royce, Lotus, BMW, Mercedes, The Macallan, Chivas Regal, Barbour, Christian Louboutin, John Lobb and Alexander McQueen. 

In 2015 Patrick bought the ailing Blackburn clothing manufacturer Cookson & Clegg, saving the factory from closure. This got him thinking about the fate of the many other great UK textile and garment makers and how to secure their future and the future prosperity of the communities that those businesses support. The result was Community Clothing which was launched in 2016 and has since earned him widespread praise from all corners, including across the political spectrum.

Patrick is best known for his role on the hit BBC series The Great British Sewing Bee which was nominated for a National television Award in 2017 and a BAFTA in 2022. He has been a contributor to several documentaries including Savile Row and Harris Tweed for BBC Four, Making Fashion Sustainable for Radio 4 and the recent Coronation Tailors; Fit for a King for BBC Two which received widespread acclaim. He has written on diverse subjects for many titles including The Financial Times, The Times and GQ. His first book, Original Man, was published in 2014, and he is currently writing two more.

Patrick has a degree in Materials Science from Leeds and an MBA from Oxford. He is the Chancellor of Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, has an honorary Doctorate from Heriot Watt, an honorary Fellowship from UCLan, is an honorary Professor at Glasgow Caledonian, and is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. In 2018 he gave a Ted Talk about the thinking behind Community Clothing. And he is an ambassador for The King’s Foundation, a charity which supports education activities for people of all ages across the UK.