I am so proud to introduce our latest charity collection: "A change is gonna come", a collaboration between Carrie Elizabeth Jewellery & Diane Hill, with 100% of the profits going to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.
Designed to escalate the need for change in our society, this beautiful necklace depicts a symbol of freedom, the flying bird, and is engraved with the evocative song lyrics "A change is gonna come”. Inspired by her powerful and thought-provoking artwork, we have worked closely with artist Diane Hill to create this stunning coin.
Unfortunately, many people are not aware of the systemic racism present in our community today and so now is the time to better educate both ourselves and others.
I hope for a world where racism & discrimination no longer exist, and to get to that, we all must make a stand and do everything we can to help make the change. I believe that in order to make the world a better place, we need to focus on our youth. They carry so much hope, energy & opportunity. I grew up with a privileged upbringing and can’t imagine how difficult it must be to face discrimination. I want to do everything I can as a human being and business owner to help make it stop. Helping children and young adults find their calling in life, find their personal USPs and give them the skills they need to thrive is incredibly important to me and I’m so proud to work with Diane on this project. If we could change the trajectory of one person’s life, it would mean the world to me.
I came across Diane Hill’s work on Instagram. I saw someone share one of her wall murals on their stories during lockdown, around the time that the “I cant breathe” movement was happening online. I thought it was incredible so went onto her profile to see her work. The next thing I saw was her “A change is gonna come” print, along with a blurb about what it means to her and the fact that 100% of the profits go to charity. It touched me, not just because her work is beautiful, or the meaning behind it. But also because Sam Cooke’s song “A change is gonna come” is one of my mums favourite songs. In fact, she had just sent me a voice note of her listening to it a few weeks before I saw Diane’s account! I dropped Diane a message, just to say hi and acknowledge her work. We got on amazingly well and decided after chatting that we should do something together, since we both admired each other’s work and want to make a positive change.
When thinking about the design for this necklace, I asked Diane to choose a little illustration that encompassed her work, but that could also symbolise change. We both felt that a little flying bird was perfect for this piece.
Speaking to Diane it became really clear why this project is also so important to her and why supporting the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust will make such a difference:
Diane said, “It is so important to spread this message of change because many people are not aware of the systemic racism present in our community, there are countless reasons why people don't understand and now is the time to educate everyone. Starting with young kids, in hope of a better future for all.
The Stephen Lawrence trust is working with young people to create a fairer society for all. Our hope is in the hands of the future generations and this trust are doing vital work to help young, disadvantaged kids succeed. Children are the future, and we don't want any child to grow up thinking they are less worthy because of how they look or where they came from.
Listening to soul music is my other life long passion, this song has always been on my most played playlist, I adore Sam Cooke's voice. The way he sings this song evokes passion, strength, beauty and pride. What made me choose this protest song over any other was the message of positivity and hope. After the death of George Floyd, we saw an immediate uproar in the streets and online, things understandably became heated, people’s emotions were at an all time high and understandably this resulted in a lot of anger and outrage. Amongst all this I felt the song title along with the flying birds to symbolise freedom offered a moment of calm.
I discovered Carrie personally via Instagram, at a time when my charity artwork was being shared globally. We got on really well right away, shared our love of soul music and Carrie came up with the idea to combine my artwork with her jewellery to raise more profits for charity - I was blown away and got started with the design immediately. I have become really engrossed with the Carrie Elizabeth brand! I love how personable Carrie is online and specifically love the way she runs the company, supporting women and making us all feel really good! I am now a lifelong customer!”
Talent is everywhere, but opportunity is not. The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust works to create a fairer and more inclusive society in which everyone can succeed regardless of race, ethnicity or background.
They don’t accept that your background should limit what you can achieve and have implemented high impact programmes in the built environments, schools & further education, and the community to provide inspiration, opportunities and supported to talented young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, enabling them to succeed. They work with innovative organisations and businesses to address disparity of opportunity, so that everyone’s talents, skills and perspectives are valued. And they empower communities across the UK to tackle disadvantage and discrimination for long term, sustainable change. They don’t just believe in a fair and equitable future, they’re making it happen.
Thank you for supporting us in our pledge for change. 100% of the profits from your necklace will go straight to the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. By working together we can move towards a fairer society for all.
We would love you to help spread the message for change by posting a picture of your necklace and tagging us: @carrie_elizabeth_jewellery @dianehilldesign @s_lawrencetrust #achangeisgonnacome
To shop the collection please click here
