We are delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant of £10,000 from Santander. The Social Enterprise Development Awards are part of Santander’s commitment to supporting small businesses and local communities. SEDA aims to help social businesses looking to grow, to support economic regeneration and ultimately create jobs.
We will use the grant to increase the opening times of our workshop and raise our profile within Wales. The award will greatly assist us to expand and improve our important work in Wales and Africa. For more details see our web site
Our Container finally arrives in Mwanza
 We said goodbye to the container in July, it arrived in Dar es Salaam in September, but was then held up for 6 weeks in the docks; this was probably due to a strike. It has finally traveled via Tanga to Mwanza where it was unloaded on Sunday morning in about 3 hours. Here are some of the boxes of tools and sewing machines – pink is for Singida region groups and white is for Mwanza – colour coding makes it easier to see where a box is destined for. Altogether over 13,000 tools and 170 sewing machines; that much nearer the artisans who will soon be using them.
Treadle bases for Singida
 Saidi Maguta and John Mtalingi in our Mwanza workshop with a new consignment of treadle bases, made by local fabricator Mohamed Kaombwe. When tailors request a treadle sewing machine in Singida region we now send them a hand machine, and the treadle base is made in Mwanza. We pay half the cost of these and the recipient group pays the other half. Not sending the base from Wales allows us to include a lot more machines in the container, so we can provide more machines in total, and it also gives employment to Mohamed.
Billhooks all ready for the season
Following a long summer season of events we are now selling tools direct from our Crickhowell workshop. We have good stocks of woodland coppice tools, and plenty of other lovingly refurbished tools; ideal for Christmas presents. We are expecting another batch of Fair Trade tools any day now – more news of them when they arrive.
Farewell to Mark
We said goodbye to Mark Baker in October. Mark has been a key volunteer in our team for well over ten years, and his help with sending our eight containers is very much valued. We wish him well -, he is seen here between Rod and Rob having a well-earned break on our legendary sofa . . .More news next month – don’t forget to register with www.givingabit.com and join Tools for Self Reliance Cymru as your chosen good cause. Then every time you shop online via givingabit you will create a donation for us – for free
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