A BUSINESS graduate from Wharfedale has combined his passions for charity and fashion to launch a new clothing brand.

Patrick Godden, currently working in Japan as a telecommunications marketer, first began designing T-shirts years ago as an Ilkley Grammar School student.

The 24 year old's interest in helping others, meanwhile, stretches back to his childhood and the example he saw being set around him.

Patrick's designing flair had to be put on hold during his academic studies but now he has got it back on track by launching The Care Manifesto.

He describes the social enterprise as 'essentially a fledgeling clothing brand that produces ethical fashion' - and will be giving all of its profits to charity.

He said: "Our goals are quite lofty but in the long term we want to be able to build factories in India and Africa where we pay far above the average wage to our workers, all whilst investing our profits back into those communities.

"So by helping to produce our clothes, our employees will also be contributing to the building of schools and so on in their community.

"The dream is to be able to set up a business similar to the Saltaire model, but in the developing world."

Patrick, who plans to move back to Addingham in September, cites his father and grandfather's involvement with Ilkley Round Table for firing his philanthropic side.

He said: "For as long as I can remember my dad and grandad were members, and then presidents, of the Round Table in Ilkley so I’d get taken around with the Santa float, collecting money and hearing stories about all the money they’d raised at the beer festival and fun run.

"This inspired me to take an interest in charity and giving back from an early age.

"I even did a sponsored sleep (yes sleep!) once whilst I was at the grammar school, which I ended up winning an end of year award for.

"I first started designing T-shirts whilst I was in the sixth form at the school but, before I knew it, the rush to revise for my A-levels and apply for university was thrust upon me and fashion hit the back burner.

"It wasn’t until my final year in university that the idea of combining my two passions really occurred to me and I seriously considered what a charitable clothing line could look like."

In the summer of 2016 he won a place on a government-funded volunteering trip to Uganda that focused on supporting young entrepreneurs and inspired him to launch his own enterprise.

He said: "Fast forward a year and a half to April-May of this year and I finally got round to starting the brand and, over the past four months, we’ve been able to release three small collections.

"We’ve still got a long way to grow but the early signs are promising.

"We’re currently supporting BIC-NET, a charity established by one of my good friends in Uganda, Angelus, that aims to educate school children about HIV/Aids and entrepreneurship in one of the poorest regions of Uganda."

For more details about The Care Manifesto visit https://caremanifesto.com/ .