Spotlight on Crafting Together
We’re excited to be joined by Crafting Together, for our latest member spotlight. Crafting Together is a Clydebank-based social enterprise, who create opportunities and community for artists and makers with with Additional Support for Learning Needs. We spoke to Project Coordinators Elaine McIlree and Linda Murray to find out more about their work, goals and top tips for social enterprises.
What does your social enterprise do?
From jewellery to cards and homeware to textiles, we design and make a range of quality products which showcase the creative strengths and employability skills of adults with learning disabilities. Our vision is to create a range of paid supported employment positions and ensure our Artists and Makers are valued and rewarded for their work.
How do you do it?
We run a range of workshops for a team of twenty Artists and Makers focusing on sewing, art and design, and jewellery-making. We sell our products both online and through a number of gift shops and galleries across central Scotland.
Why should someone buy/use your product/services? What are the benefits and what makes your organisation unique?
Buying something that’s made by Crafting Together has a direct and positive impact on the health, wellbeing, confidence and self-esteem of our talented Artists and Makers. The income generated from sales allows us to work towards our ambitious aims of creating a self-sustaining social enterprise offering meaningful employment for adults with Additional Support for Learning Needs.
What is your personal motivation?
Crafting Together was founded by former teachers from Kilpatrick ASN School in Clydebank who were concerned at the lack of meaningful employment opportunities for school leavers with learning disabilities. Employment rates for people with a learning disability are significantly lower than those with other disabilities, and vastly lower than the employment rates for the general population. Our passionate belief is that everyone who wants to, should have the expectation and opportunity to engage in meaningful work within a community of supportive colleagues.
What is the current focus for your social enterprise?
Our current focus is to develop our workshops and to develop a range of quality products which truly reflect the skills and creative talents of our Artists and Makers. We’re also trying to raise our profile within retail markets and to showcase our products to a wider audience, and in the process become more self-sustaining.
What exciting things do you have coming up?
In the run up to Christmas we’re creating new seasonal product ranges for sale at our 11 retail outlets, for our website, and online platforms, including Buy Social Scotland of course. We’ll also be attending a range of craft markets, from local events to the The WASPS Winter Market at The Briggait in Glasgow – a first for us!
Who do you want to work with more?
We’d love to expand our range of retail outlets to include galleries, museums and Scottish heritage sites.
What’s your biggest challenge?
Crafting Together is grateful for the funding it has received from the National Lottery Community Fund, Glasgow Flightpath and the People’s Postcode Lottery. However the big challenge is to become more self-sustaining. Our other main focus is challenging society’s perceptions and expectations of people with learning disabilities who are often excluded and marginalised, particularly with regard to paid employment.
Where do you see your organisation in 5 years?
In 5 years time we hope to have expanded our premises and become less reliant on grant funding and more able to sustain our social enterprise through the growth of sales and other diverse income streams. We’d also love to have our own shop which would also allow customers to meet our talented team directly.
What top tips would you give to other social enterprises?
The most important thing is to know what you’re trying to achieve and not to get side-tracked along the way – keep your story front and centre of everything you do. Always remember what prompted you to start your social enterprise in the first place.
For more information about Crafting Together, please visit their website and make sure to follow them on Instagram and Facebook. You can also find a selection of Crafting Together’s products on the Buy Social Scotland Gift Directory.
Want to read more Member Spotlights? Visit our blog. If you’d like to be featured, please email membership@socialenterprise.scot.