Help Poetry in Wood CIO

Do you want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money in aid of POETRY IN WOOD CIO, and every donation will help. Thank you in advance for contributing to this cause which means so much to me.

Post-Covid, all our expenses, materials and equipment have increased in price. We struggle to give the same level of service to our members with learning disabilities and autism. They are such a great group of people and we need help to ensure we can continue to help them to increase their skills and independence.

We are trying to raise £3000 as a stop-gap. Some of the money is to keep our project going while we await funding to secure the project's future in the years to come. Poetry in Wood is an art and woodwork NVQ training course for adults with learning disabilities. We currently have a team of 6 super experienced and dedicated staff members and we have 36 learning disabled members enrolled. People enrolled in the program are supported to gain woodwork and design skills and develop meaningful relationships and contributions in their wider community. It is a beautiful project that has flourished for over 25 years, making handmade products and completing large public art commissions by learning disabled artists. It has upheld its person-centered values and creative character over the prevailing winds of change, red tape and financial suppression over previous decades. Years that have caused so many others to crumble. The organisation has been going through difficult transitions recently with the rising cost of rent and equipment and obstacles from covid 19. We have almost survived these difficulties, but it has caused us quite a significant financial hit, and we are in a difficult position now, unable to pay rent and wages next month. We are awaiting payment for some grants, which we are confident will come soon, which will give us breathing space to get through this, but in the meantime, if enough people were able to chip in a few quid, we could keep the project going to bridge that gap. Small projects in the sector like ours are vital. Big corporate care projects can never hope to provide the quality of support we provide our members. They can never support the integration of learning disabled people into society as we can, which is so crucial. Please help us keep this cultural and social treasure of East London alive through this rough patch. Any small amount would be very welcome.