Crafts with Love – Charity number – 103747
Trustees Report
1[st] September 2022 to 31[st] August 2023
Crafts with Love is a voluntary community organisation which is open to everyone regardless of age, ability, colour, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, political opinion, ethnic origin or disability. We are a constituted group and meet in a neighbourhood renewal area of Coleraine, which has an ageing population, and where there are high levels of unemployment, sickness and isolation.
We meet in Coleraine West Community Centre once a week where we provide a comfortable safe venue for our members to socialise and learn new skills. We offer an active crafting environment, providing a framework for cross community relations, social interaction and networking while developing arts and craft based projects.
The purposes of the charity are to alleviate loneliness, isolation, advance education and promote health and wellbeing to those living within Coleraine and the greater Causeway Coast and Glens area.
All trustees agreed to remain in office as follows: Betty Gilkinson (Chairperson), Elizabeth Nevin (Secretary), Roberta Campbell (Treasurer) and Margaret Creighton. All trustees give of their time freely and none are paid.
In order to achieve our objectives, we organise a range of different craft workshops, including knitting, crochet, quilting, embroidery, patchwork, jewellery making, flower arranging and paper crafts. Our sessions are aimed at providing activities at a level to suit all participants. We encourage members to learn new skills and socialise, which in turn improves their health and well being, builds their confidence and extends their friendships. We provide door to door transport where necessary which ensures that mobility is not a barrier. This is invaluable in keeping our elderly members involved and active. Light refreshments are provided at all sessions.
Those who benefit from these sessions are the elderly and vulnerable members of the community, people with caring responsibilities, disabilities, isolated people and those with ethnic minority backgrounds. These sessions also help to keep traditional and modern crafting alive.
We set up a “pop-up” shop in Coleraine Town Centre, April to June, 3 days per week. This was very successful in boosting our craft sales. We also had a Fireside Quiz.
In the past financial year we received £996 funding through Mental Health & Emotional Wellbeing and Suicide Prevention. This allowed us to have a session of keep fit, a health talk on dementia, a session of music, a comedian at our annual Christmas lunch and a Quilt Show and Tell. It also helped with hall hire and some healthy food.
In addition to this we received £500 from Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Social Connections Grant. This helped with transport where required, hall hire, a few tutored craft sessions and the purchase of some craft materials.
We have been successful in an application to Community Fund, Big Lottery amounting to £9996.
In the past financial year we gave £8,000 to children’s charities - £2,000 to Acheru (Africa), £2,500 to Feed My Lambs (Cambodia), £2,500 to Stand By Me (Uganda) and £1,000 to Causeway Downs Syndrome (local). We raised £245 through the sale of a quiz sheet and £5,785 from the sale of crafts made by the ladies in our group.
Signed
Roberta Campbell