Osedd Outdoors: The Sheffield-born clothing brand supporting people living on the streets

1:30pm

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. 

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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.

“I think we could be doing a lot better to tell you the truth”: Are young people in Sheffield really more interested in the Catholic Church than ever?

3:41pm

Despite rising numbers of young people joining the Catholic Church, a Sheffield priest still believes more can be done.

With a Catholic population of 63,000 people according to The Diocese of Hallam, and a student population of over 60,000, Sheffield has to strike balance between the traditional Catholic community in the city and young people moving towards the faith.

Father Paddy Walsh, who spent 24 years at St Vincent's Catholic Church in Crookes before retiring to St Marie's Cathedral said that the news of more young people joining and staying within the faith was obvious from the attendance of masses in the city centre.

Though he feels as though young people in the area are well provided for through youth work, he admitted that when it comes to attracting and keeping young people interested in the church "I think we could be doing a lot better to tell you the truth".

A recent study suggests that Catholicism has become more and more popular throughout young people in Britain, especially amongst men aged between 18 and 34. However in Sheffield, where there is an increasingly young population and two large universities, it would appear that the realities of this are far more complex.

Father Walsh said: "There are quite a number of students and young people coming to the masses here" and that of the 800 or 900 attendees over a weekend a "Fair sprinkling of them are students".

He also mentioned how youth work and mission hubs around the city help students to form a community and maintain their faith in a way that serves their busy and modern lives, including when they move away from home and come to university.

In terms of the Easter period, he agreed that Easter masses are usually more well attended that regular Sunday masses and that again, young people were regular attendees.

Easter, traditionally a period of Christian celebration and reflection on the death and resurrection of Christ has more recently become a modern event where families get together for a mid-term break and chocolate eggs.

However, despite members of the clergy noting this rising participation, some young people who grew up in the faith are finding it harder to resonate with the Church as they gather different life experience and separate themselves from their Catholic education.

Ciaran Eley, 22, a student at Sheffield Hallam University said that he feels that getting older made him realise that the Catholic church was no longer in alignment with his personal views.

Mr Eley was baptised Catholic and attended Catholic education until he was 18, "It was just something I accepted was part of my life, I didn't really question it."

"Now I say I feel completely separate from it, it doesn't really form part of my identity anymore, not even culturally."

He expressed how he felt young people no longer felt a connection with the church due to its stance on abortion, contraception and LGBT rights but admitted that in order to connect in this way "I honestly think they would have to contradict the doctrine itself".

When it comes to celebrating Easter, Mr Eley said that his celebrations these days have nothing to do with the resurrection of Christ and more to do with chocolate eggs and Easter lunch with family.

Such conversations highlight the complexity of Catholicism and the barriers young people face when they reflect on the role religion plays in their lives.

Although some young people feel increasingly alienated from their faith, Sheffield does have an active youth mission at St Vincent's and a vibrant university society membership.

Micah Walukiewicage, a student at the University of Sheffield and member of the Sheffield Catholic Society said that there had been a real push and drive over the last two years for people engaging with the Church when they come to university.

The Sheffield Catholic Society works from St Vincent's Mission Hub and talked about how a social media presence appealed to those wishing to join the society and become involved in the events.

Mr Walukiewicage said that the tradition and unchanging nature of the church was something that students moving to University often found comfort in.

He said: "The Church nowadays is a pillar for lots of people, the landscape is changing but the Church stands on its message."

The Mission Hub offers a masses and talks lead by the parish priest but students also prepare meals and organise trips in order to create a community feel and "Provide a home from home whilst at University."

The Hub also reported that over the Easter and Lenten periods people were more likely to come and ask to be involved and watch a mass service, particularly on occasions such as Ash Wednesday.

Mr Walukiewicage admitted that social problems such as abortion and LGBT rights could push people away from the Church but said how members of the congregation can hold their own views yet still ultimately come under the umbrella of the Church doctrine.

He said that the Church and the hub itself aims to be a welcoming place for people to come together.

Whether or not people in Sheffield see Easter as a religious, cultural, or simply secular event, communities around the city are preparing for events around the period bringing families and people of all ages and walks of life together.