Free timber to hawarden High School

Free timber to Hawarden High School

If you’ve been reading our blog, or following us on social media, then you’re probably aware that for the last few months, we’ve been giving away our offcuts to local schools and colleges for use in woodworking class and hopefully to help the next generation of carpenters and joiners to get their first experience of working with timber. The latest school to benefit from our offcuts of timber is Hawarden High School in Flintshire and here, thanks to David Owen and Mark Kenny, we get to seem what they’ve made from the timber!

Are you a Joiner, Carpenter, or Woodworker?

If so, and you’re based in North Wales, and you have offcuts of timber to spare, then what are you waiting for?

Hawarden High School minibus full of timber

We’re going to need a bigger boat minibus!

 

Please do get in touch as it’s very much us on our own with a still MASSIVE list of schools all desperately in need of timber! You can get in touch with us using the contact form here.

So what did Hawarden High School make with the timber?

Again, I’m impressed with what they make in schools these days; I think (it
was a long time ago!) one thing I made was a nutcracker and another a bird
to cut all manner of intricate things in timber, as well as plastics.

feeder, but these days, a lot of schools seem to have CNC equipment and use it

Chunky table made at Hawarden High School

Chunky wooden table, love the column stye legs on this!

Camera style light made at Hawarden High School

Lights, camera action! A light cleverly disguised as a camera!

 

Docking station for mobile phone

Another mobile phone docking station!
 
 

They love their mobile phone docking stations! I definitely didn’t make anything like that at school…then again, mobile phones were the size of a house back then!

Table inlaid with the Beatles image

Cantilever table with inlay acrylic section featuring the Fab Four on Abbey Road! The image here does not really do this justice, so double click on picture to enlarge it!

Antelope storage box with drawer

An Antelope storage box with a small drawer to the front

 

What do Hawarden High School say about the free timber?

Over the years, we have seen a decline in the resources available to schools,
which has meant that this school has had to adapt to the materials available,
rather than that which could be bought. Recently though, because of the
generosity of businesses in North Wales, we have been able to encourage pupils
to revert to using the more traditional skills, alongside the modern. We have
been encouraged by the enthusiasm of pupils who are learning the skills of
their parents. The parents, in turn, have been able to participate in the
guidance given to their youngsters. After all, how many parents can relate to
laser machines or 3D printers? We are particularly grateful to Inwood, who are
working tirelessly to encourage businesses in the area to join in and donate
any surplus materials to their local schools.

Mark Kenny, Head of Technology

I have been amazed by some of the wood offcuts donated to our school by
Inwood. There are, what to us are exotic woods, which we would have no chance
of acquiring any other way. The realisation that they can have a small piece
of quality wood to develop their ideas seems to inspire pupils to do their
best to make something to take home. The soft woods, of which there are many
shapes and sizes, give the younger pupils a sense of achievement too, because
of the ease of working.

David Owen, Technician

When I started to develop my project, I found it very difficult to know what
was available, material wise. Then my teacher showed me the store of wood that
the school has and we put together a few of the offcuts in the shape of the
table that I had in mind to make.

Comment by a year eleven pupil, Hawarden High School

I have made my project, a baby walker with some simple games built into it. It
is made from short pieces of wood from the school storeroom and from acrylic
donated by a local sign-maker. I really liked doing it, It is for my younger
sister.

Year eleven girl, Hawarden High School

And what a great gift

After we had helped load up the Hawarden minibus, it was then the turn of
David Owen to give us something in return…a little red acrylic dragon, sitting
on an Oak plinth. I’ve called him Sid and he now resides in our office, ready
for our signal to breath fire on any unwanted salesmen that turn up
unannounced! 😀
Sid our office dragon
 

Hawarden are not the only high school we’ve given timber to, the first school to
take advantage was Denbigh High School – you can see what they made with the timber here. As I say we’re still looking for others to help supply the list of schools
we’ve got, so if you are a North Wales woodworker then please do get in touch using the contact form here

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