The workshop on Queens Road will be closed to the public from December 8th 2026 until January 12th 2027.
Happy Christmas and New Year to all our supporters and donors.
If you have tools to donate, we look forward to seeing you in 2027.
In Africa we have skills but no tools and no money to buy them.
In Sheffield we have many old tools, we no longer use, which need a new home
A quality 2”/50mm No 4 woodworking plane in the UK costs around £70.00. A UK carpenter would expect to earn in a day £200+ i.e. half a day’s work will more than cover the cost of a new plane. In Africa the same plane will cost rather more due to duties and shipping etc. A typical African carpenter earns in the region of £5.00 in a day. They must work at least two weeks to earn enough to buy the same plane plus feed their family. A basic woodworking tool is out of reach for an African carpenter. There are many skilled artisans in Africa perfectly capable of building homes and furniture. However, the wages they earn are so low that they can never earn enough surplus to buy quality tools to work with.
A solution
We can refurbish and repair unwanted handtools and send them to community based artisans in rural Africa. Unwanted tools are recycled and brought back to life allowing communities help bring themselves out of poverty.
If you have tools to donate or can help us re-furbish them please get in touch….