Savanna Rags - a local, family-run textile recycling company - have spoken of their delight to sponsor the Stags’ training kit until the end of the 2024-25 season.
The local firm became new sponsors of the training wear this summer and told www.mansfieldtown.net: “We are extremely proud and happy to continue our sponsorship of Mansfield Football Club for this season and next,” said brothers Ahmed and Yunus Suleman of Savanna Rags.
“Due to the Stags’ outstanding role within the local community and their continued support, we hope to maintain our established relationship with the Club and its management in the future.”
Michael Bradley, Stags’ commercial manager, said: “Discussions had been ongoing with Savanna Rags throughout the summer of 2022 and it was pleasing to secure them as the club’s training kit sponsor on a two-year agreement.
“Committing to two years shows the faith the team at Savanna Rags have in the club, and they are seeing the progress which we are making on and off the pitch.
“We will continue to offer our support to them as they look to build their business back up to full strength.
“We would ask our supporters to help them where possible. Any unwanted clothes can be taken to their premises to be recycled and by doing so you will not only be helping our partners, but also the wider community.”
Brothers Ahmed and Yunus Suleman established Savanna Rags International LTD in 1994. It first opened its doors on Wood Street, Mansfield, with 20 employees.
As the business grew and expanded, it moved to Forest Road in Mansfield. By March 2023, Savanna Rags employed approximately 150 employees and was one of the largest employers in the Mansfield area as well as one of the leading processors and exporters of second-hand clothing in the UK.
The company has established long-lasting and trusted relationships with UK Charity Organisations such as Scope, British Red Cross, Children’s Society, Daisy Chain and many more, as well as UK Waste Recycling sites such as Veolia and HW Martin. As their service providers, Savanna Rags collect and receive their clothing which is then processed at their facilities.
Savanna Rags handle approximately 300 tonnes of material a week, which is sorted on site and graded into over 60 categories. All items are sorted and graded in the 48,000-square-foot warehouse via a purpose-built production line. Then items are fine-graded and quality checked before they are prepared for the relevant overseas’ markets.
The business has an established market base in West and East Africa, Europe, Pakistan and UAE.
Clothing unsuitable for resale in the second-hand clothing market is graded and prepared for the recycling sector, to be re-purposed as industrial cleaning wipers.
Savanna Rags has always maintained its commitments to environmental concerns. Due to the bespoke sorting process, none of the clothing processed at Savanna Rags is sent to landfill sites, with less than 1% being processed as waste.
Furthemore, Savanna Rags is also passionate about supporting other charitable causes.
Savanna Rags founded The Peaceful Trust Charity, which carries out amazing work within the local community as well as internationally.
Although the charity has grown into its own, Savanna Rags remains its largest sponsor and supporter, enabling them to continue their good work.
Savanna Rags has also remained active with fundraising activities within the Savanna warehouse, with numerous charity raffles, Easter Egg and Christmas Toy drives, with all monies or items raised donated to those in need within our community.
Savanna Rags suffered a devastating blow in 2023, when the warehouse burned down on 18 March. Thankfully, no loss of life was sustained, however, the tragic accident devastated the company with the building, stock and assets destroyed.
Despite the losses the business suffered, the company remained operational, as The Peaceful Trust offered their office space and grounds to maintain a small level of operations as we adjusted to the new normal.
Currently, Savanna Rags has resumed a small sorting operation from its new warehouse on Maunside, Greenline Industrial Estate, Mansfield, NG18 5GU.
Although operations are reduced, they are determined to continue trading and maintain their goals and commitments to their customers and the local community, despite the challenges the business is now facing.
