Organisation: Workaid
What they do: Collect unwanted tools and equipment from across the country and refurbish and distribute them to people in need. Helping them to learn a skill and earn a living.
Written by Mahuya Kanjilal
As a the Community Development Advisor for Heart of Bucks, I enjoy visiting groups, workshops and events. One such visit was on 25th April, 2018 to meet Workaid staff and volunteers.
Workaid is a charity based in Chesham and they empower disadvantaged people with the provision of tools and skills. Refurbished tools assist vocational training projects and charities in the UK and East Africa.
It was an absolute delight to meet Rob Levine, general manager of Workaid and Paula, fundraising officer. We had a workshop tour and I was introduced to many of their volunteers who were working at the tool workshop ‘The Hub’.
The Workaid office is based in an old Boot factory and still has that antique presence in every corner. Once Chesham was famous for its three ‘B’s – Boots, Brush and Bear factories along the river Chess. All these traditional industries declined during the second half of last century. Even after almost 100 years one can still experience an ambiance of local factory setting at the Workaid workshop where volunteers are refurbishing tools, making Yoga bags from recycled material and giving life to old sewing machines.
