About Wood Creatives

Formed originally as a Woodcarving Club we have grown to enhance all creative aspects of working with wood. The Wood Creatives meets at the Hillcrest Centre, where we rent a large workshop behind the main building for adults to learn, practice and hopefully improve our woodcarving, woodturning and the other general wood related skills. We are open on Mondays (except bank holidays when we meet on the Tuesday) and Thursdays any time between 9.30am and 3.30pm. During the period affected by Covid we are trying to open on additional days and we are now considering evenings and weekends, watch this space for more information.

Although a club, not a class, beginners as well as experienced carvers and wood workers are very welcome and informal guidance is available as needed. Tea and coffee are provided and members staying all day bring a packed lunch. We stop work at 12.30pm for lunch and a period of machine-and-tool-noise-free time.

Equipment and Safety

The workshop, originally the woodworking department of a former boys' school, is equipped with woodworking benches, machinery, hand tools and some wood for members' use. If and when beginners "get the bug" and feel they would like to continue woodcarving, they are encouraged to purchase and care for their own hand tools and source their own wood. As always, guidance is available where required.

Members must be aware that the workshop can, at times, be very noisy and dusty and tools and machines can be dangerous. Individuals must understand that they are responsible for their own safety and for their own equipment and to be mindful of the safety of other members at all times. We recommend that members protect themselves by providing their own ear plugs or defenders, dust masks and suitable gloves.

Tools or other possessions left at the Club are done so at the members' own risk.

Members are responsible for leaving their work areas, including the machinery, safe, clean and tidy, for which brooms, a vacuum cleaner, dustpan and brushes are available.

It is a condition of the Club's insurance that for the sake of safety there must always be at least two club members in the workshop at any time it is open.

Payment and Attendance

Rent for the workshop is funded entirely by members' subscriptions. These are currently £25 per month per member and are required in advance at the beginning of each month by standing order and may be adjusted (with notice) according to membership numbers to cover the rent. As the rent is fixed we cannot, unfortunately, waive subs if members are unable to attend for any reason.
We ask that the Club Treasurer or Secretary be informed if a member intends to leave the Club, so that his or her place can be offered to someone else. In the event of a member's non-attendance and non-payment without explanation and/or agreement for four weeks, his or her place may be offered to someone else.