Save Nino's business! Donate & rebuild after fire

Hello everyone.

I’ve had some really unfortunate news recently. The morning of Friday the 19th of May a fire broke out at the industrial park where my workshop unit is. Although all efforts were taken to stop the fire and my unit was the furthest from the place where the fire started, everything within my unit, all of my tools, my designs, my completed work, all ongoing projects, chainsaws and tree gear, all of my climbing rope access kit, and everything else fully set up for a woodwork workshop, is gone. My entire unit has burned to the ground.

Not only have I lost the financial value of everything listed above, but also a place where I have invested hundreds of hours to set up a working environment where I really love spending my time. You all know that I am happiest when I have a number of projects on the go, and my workshop was not only my practical space for this, but also my creative home. I feel a really big hole in my heart for this space and what it had become for me.

Most of you will know that last summer I had a very bad accident, resulting in the loss of my fingers and full mobility in my hand. With all the craziness surrounding this experience - which happened around the time of me setting up my workshop - I did not take out insurance on the unit. I am now feeling the gravity of how foolish this is - trust me!! It is a mistake I will remember for a very long time I am sure, but what I am most aware of right now is that I have nothing left of my business, and no way of getting it back other than starting again.

So, that’s what I’m doing.

I am trying to get together new tools, machines, and the general kit I need to get myself back on my feet and back to doing something I love. The total value of everything I have lost is around £40,000, between kit and inventory. It’s going to be a lot of work to set it up again, but I love the industry I work in. When I was in hospital after my accident and despite the trauma of losing fingers while using my mitre saw, all I could think about was getting back to making and creating in my workshop.

I am sharing all of this to ask my dear friends: if anyone feels able to donate anything, that would be bloody amazing! Even the smallest amount can get me things like drill bits, sand paper, nails, glue, etc.

When I say that I have lost everything in this fire it’s only to demonstrate that I actually have nothing left. The total value of everything I have lost is a large number, but it’s the small things that I have always had lying around that suddenly seem so precious to me. Any donation could go towards one of these items, and it would help me so much right now while I work hard to get back on my feet and give me a chance to plan exactly which path I want to take my business down.

Thank you for taking the time, and any donations given are honestly received with the warmest and deepest gratitude.

So much love,

Nino.