Osedd Outdoors is a clothing brand with a difference. Under the “One worn = One given” policy, each purchase of walking apparel also provides a thermal blanket for someone living outside.
Launched in Sheffield on the first day of 2026, Osedd Outdoors is the work of a local entrepreneur, 20-year-old Louis Grasier. He had been thinking about starting his own business for a while, but wanted to include an element of giving back at its core. “My passion is walking, so it made sense to create an outdoor clothing brand, but it had to have a bigger purpose.” He was inspired to use Osedd to support people experiencing homelessness by his Dad, whose care for people living outside has stuck with him from a young age.
At the core of Osedd is one principle belief: “Warmth and protection are basic needs, not privileges.” The outdoor apparel company has a dual purpose: providing walkers with high-quality gear, and providing people living outside in the city with much-needed material security. With rates of street homelessness across the UK at a record high, according to the latest ONS data, initiatives like this one provide an extra layer of support for vulnerable people, as charities and government agencies find themselves over-stretched. Grasier is collaborating with local homelessness charities, like The Archer Project, to distribute the items.
Osedd Outdoors logo. Image credit: Osedd Outdoors.
Being homeless is often a complex experience, with people feeling both invisible and hyper-visible at the same time, explains Talya Stitcher, the charity’s Communications Officer. “A lot of the people we support often tell us in various ways that they feel very cut off or excluded from society, made to feel invisible in a lot of ways, and then forced to be visible in unpleasant ways,” she says. Grasier has reflected this in his branding: Osedd translates to “unseen”, which he says was chosen to reflect the ways in which people living outside are often unseen or invisible, as well as the unseen outdoors and the opportunity for people to get out and explore the natural beauty on our doorstep. Similarly, Osedd’s logo depicts an eye without a pupil, which Grasier says represents how “people look but don’t actually see” both people living outside and the vast array of natural beauty and wildlife around them.
The Archer Project supported over 1,000 individuals experiencing homelessness in 2025, as well as providing over 23,000 meals and over 900 on-site medical appointments. Stitcher called Osedd a “fantastic initiative” and applauded the person-centered approach that Grasier has placed at the core of his business. “Our charity was born out of people from the cathedral congregation wanting to do something and wanting to help people, and that’s exactly what Louis is doing himself,” Stitcher says. “That’s really the heart of where that community support comes from. It’s great to see, and we’d love to see more.”
The Archer Project building at the back of Sheffield Cathedral. Image credit: The Archer Project
Support for Osedd has gone far beyond Sheffield. Grasier was one of six finalists who won $10,000 (around £7,410) in the Dare to Dream initiative hosted by the digital business platform, Stan for Creators. In a video call with one of their representatives, posted on social media, Grasier shared his excitement. “This will help the business so much,” he says, “I genuinely think I can help so many people across the world.”
He emphasised the importance of using his business to help people in the right way and avoiding giving based on assumption. On Osedd’s Instagram and TikTok accounts, he explained his market research process, which has centered around actually going out and talking to walkers and people living outside to develop his products. Grasier feels strongly about not recording these interactions for social media content: “I don’t agree with filming vulnerable people for self-gain.”
This has resonated with many of his followers. Alex Lumsden, Outreach Manager at Ben’s Centre, is particularly impressed with Grasier’s approach. Lumsden described being “instinctively sceptical” of people who film themselves helping vulnerable people for content, and sees Grasier’s awareness of this as a refreshing alternative. Ben’s Centre is a Sheffield-based charity that supports people impacted by substance misuse, many of whom also experience homelessness.
In a similar vain, the thermal blankets provided through purchases from Osedd will not include any advertising for the brand. “I don’t want to turn people into marketing, it’s not about that it’s just about giving them what they need,” Grasier says.
Grasier is also cautious about the terminology he uses on Osedd’s website and socials. After talking to the people he is aiming to help, Grasier has chosen to use the phrase “people living outside” rather than the typical term “homeless people” to reiterate the sense of shared humanity. “They’re people first,” he says.
As well as helping those experiencing homelessness, Grasier wants to encourage people in the local community to get into walking. He hopes to set up community hikes in the Peak District later down the line, bringing people together and showing them the benefits of walking for their mental and physical wellbeing. “Walking for me is freedom. It’s a way to connect to people and to clear my head,” he says. “If you are dealing with anything, or have a lot on your mind, just put your phone down, put anything down that you may be using to compress those feelings, and just walk and walk until everything in your head slowly fades away. It sounds weird, but you can’t understand that feeling until you get out and do it.”
Looking to the future, Grasier hopes that Osedd will go national and even international. At the heart of this aspiration is a noble desire to do all he can to support people experiencing homelessness. “More growth means helping more people,” he says. With the financial support from the Dare to Dream initiative, Grasier’s success looks all the more likely. The final winner of the competition, and the recipient of the grand prize of $100,000, will be announced on Friday. But regardless, Grasier’s alternative approach to entrepreneurship has been applauded in Sheffield and beyond.
You can find out more about Osedd Outdoors on Instagram and TikTok, or via the website.
