The joy of learning and teaching

Photography credit: National Saturday Club.

Last month, we welcomed three groups from the National Saturday Club into our workshop, travelling from Boston, Sleaford and Chain Bridge Forge. Their exciting mission for the day was to make a wooden chopping board, learning how to shape it using a hand router and hand sander, and finally finishing it with oil. Our team also showed a selection of our pieces from antiques to new, yet-to-be-launched products. The students were invited to handle the pieces to experience the quality, as well as the way an object evolves over time.

The group, all aged between 13 and 18, started the day a little tentative and unsure, but once they got going, the mood shifted, and they were totally absorbed by the process. By lunchtime, they were buzzing, as were the Saturday Club supervisors. As they boarded their buses home, the teens proudly hugged their chopping boards like hard-won trophies. 

Afterwards, our team of tutors sat around on such a high, all comparing notes from the day. They loved sharing their skills and seeing the students soak it all up. The workshop felt full of purpose, and the whole experience reminded us why we do what we do.

If you're part of a workshop and ever get the chance to host a Saturday Club, we’d really encourage it. It was such a simple, brilliant day. A moment where the joy of making and sharing was felt by everyone involved.