It’s two years ago today that we opened our doors for the first time.
After six months of planning and gathering stock, and six weeks of unpacking, deciding on categories and getting it all on the shelves, we waited to see whether anyone would actually come to take a look.
Thankfully they did – and over 400 people have since joined up as members. Between them they have saved around £53,000 on craft supplies by filling baskets from our shelves. Over those two years, those shelves have held over 5 tonnes of craft and creative supplies which would otherwise have gone to landfill – we call that a win-win situation!
We love the fact that so many people appreciate what we offer and make the most of the opportunities for crafting on a budget. It’s amazing to see the creativity of members who explore our shelves and get inspired by what they find there – even if it’s not what was on their list when they came in!
We also appreciate everyone who contributes to the incredible and ever-changing array of supplies by making a donation. People tell us how delighted they are to find a place to rehome their surplus craft resources, knowing that they will be put to good use by someone else rather than sitting in a drawer or cupboard gathering dust and taking up space.
We really enjoy getting together with other crafters to be creative in a group. We’ve had more than 700 adults and children participating in various activities, from our school holiday “Make & Take” sessions to our regular Crochet and Slow Stitching groups, and our weekend workshops. As well as the coming together at our Community Crafting sessions where we make useful items to donate to local organisations.
And of course, as it’s also Volunteers’ Week, we must give a massive Thank You to all of our volunteers, as none of this could happen without them. Together they give more than 130 hours of their time each and every month to make sure that we can open regularly – and that doesn’t include all the extra work that goes on behind the scenes sorting and tidying, making up kits, updating social media, preparing for activities, etc
We’ll be celebrating with a cup of tea and a piece of cake today – and looking forward to another fabulous year of crafting joy with all the members of our creative community.
