SITAL PUNJA
Sital Punja, managing director of Sari (UK) Ltd, Ruislip, Middlesex

In 1995 Sital Punja graduated from London Guildhall University with a degree in Communications and went on to have a successful career in media sales. It was in December 2002, after receiving mentoring from the founder of The Big Issue, John Bird, that Sital decided to launch Sari (UK) Ltd to help fund charity projects in India. Sital toured Indian women's groups and temples around the UK collecting saris that could be recycled into saleable fashion products. Sari (UK) Ltd's first collection of women's wear was then produced with designer Sam Cook and sold to the Paris boutique, Clery Brice, with all profits going to charity. The company is still going strong today having donated over £65,000 to various charities in the UK and India including Sense International, Great Ormond Street Hospital and victims of the tsunami disaster.

Sital is a leading speaker and consultant on ethical fashion issues and a founding member of the Ethical Fashion Forum. Her written contributions include a research paper on the status of ethical fashion in the UK, which was compiled with Cambridge University, and her work as the fashion editor for the ethical magazine, New Consumer. Sital has met with both HRH Elizabeth II and MP Ruth Kelly to discuss ethical fashion issues.

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