2023-09-30-accounts

Dorset Woodturners Association CIO – Annual Report 2022 – 2023

Overview:

The past twelve months have been very successful for the club with attendance at meetings returning to pre-Covid levels.

We have welcomed new members who, along with existing members, have had the opportunity to see demonstrations by experienced and professional turners as well as having hands-on experience.

Becoming an Affiliate Member of the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain (AWGB) has enabled us to apply for grants to enhance our club activities.

The members of the club can look back over the past year with pride in their achievements and look forward to a future programme which will enhance their knowledge and experience.

Achievements have included:

• Developing our membership of the AWGB. Through them, we have been given a new Axminster lathe for the members and demonstrators to use. Again, through the AWGB, we may apply for grants to offset the costs of having professional turners demonstrate at our meetings.

• The Chairman’s Challenge has developed in that more have been introduced during the year following a request by the membership. Members have been stimulated to go outside their ‘comfort zone’ and try something new – with surprising and pleasing results.

• The Derek Burton Award which consists of a Taser (to hold sweets) was presented to Scott Buckwell for demonstrating the greatest improvement over the year through contributions to Facebook and to the Turners’ Table.

• A new innovation, introduced by the chairman, was an ‘experience day’. This was provided by Dremel, who are known primarily for their rotary tools. Members were shown the versatility of the tool and how it could be applied to their work. They were then able to use the tool for several projects which enabled them to appreciate the flexibility of the product.

Topics:

• A talk on the benefits of woodturning and the joy of doing what is a pleasurable and purposeful activity. Such an activity promotes the production of good hormones, which leads to a sense of well-being and good health. Even the smell of wood can be beneficial. Successfully creating objects of beauty engender a sense of success in a very positive way.

• A demonstration of ‘duplicate ‘turning. The members were introduced to this technique by the chairman. He showed the method of using a ‘story stick’ to mark the wood to achieve identical pieces.

• The members were shown one of the techniques of how to produce a ‘hollow form’ vessel

• A demonstration was given on how to turn lace bobbins using specialist tools which can either be purchased or made in the workshop.

• Box making is another popular topic which was demonstrated.

• Turning wet wood

• Segmented turning

• Sharpening systems were demonstrated which included the Tormek and Sorby ProEdge systems

• Holding techniques

• Turning speeds

• Texturing

• Colouring techniques

• Decorating finished items with coloured flakes, stains and leather trim

• Pen making

• Turing twists

The Presentation Table each month is for members to show items they have produced. This provides inspiration and ideas as well as stimulating discussion. The range of items displayed have included:

• Animals

• Platters

• Bowls of various designs

• Pyrography

• Hats

• Toys

• Jewellery

• Pepper mills

• Fruit

Facebook:

There are over thirty members registered for the Facebook page and this is used to post pictures of items members have produced. The use of social media is an excellent way of sharing ideas and experiences and members are encouraged to post pictures, show what they are doing and to ask for advice.

Newsletter:

The monthly newsletter is a vital part of the club and informs members of what is happening. It contains reports of meetings, descriptions of demonstrations and photographs of members’ work.

Community Involvement:

• Members attended St Leonard’s Village Hall’s ‘Sunday Funday’. This enabled members to interact with the general public through demonstrations and discussion. Attendees at the Funday were able to see items being produced and were also able to purchase them to take home. The day also produced several enquiries about joining the club.

• Leaflets advertising the club are distributed at events and other venues.

Future Program:

Calendar for 2023-2024

• Wed 6 Dec 19.00 Online Demonstration by Garry Lowe RPT

• Wed 3 Jan 19.00 Demonstration by Andy Matthews - Two Part Candlesticks

• Wed 7 Feb 19.00 Hanging pot-plant holder and finial

• Sat 2 Mar 10.00 Practical Day with Dremel

• Wed 3 Apr 19.00 Turn a Children’s Toy

• Wed 1 May 19.00 Practical Evening (Turning, Sharpening, Pyrography)

• Sat 1 June 10.00 Day with Bryan Millham – The Village Woodturner

• Wed 3 July 19.00 Multi-media Turning Project

• Sat 3 Aug 10.00 TBA – Outing or Visit

• Wed 4 Sept 19.00 AGM & display of members’ multi-media projects

• Wed 2 Oct 19.00

• Wed 6 Nov 19.00

• Wed 4 Dec 19.00 Baby’s Toy

Chairman’s Challenges – given after demonstration at club meetings:

• 3rd January - Two-part candlestick

• 7th February – Hanging pot holder and finial

• 3rd April – Turn a child’s toy Children’s toy

• 3rd July – Produce a turned multi-median project

Note: This is work in progress. More details of each meeting will be circulated nearer the time.

All meetings are at the St. Leonard's Village Hall, except for the online meeting on 6th Dec

Financial Overview

The financial situation of the club is healthy with an excess of income over expenditure. This has resulted from there being fewer professional demonstrators during the past year. The committee have therefore decided to maintain the annual subscription at its current level. Again, looking to the future the trustees feel that the strategy adopted by the treasurer is sufficient to keep the charity solvent. The situation is regularly reviewed at the committee meetings.