Save The Clay Studio – An urgent call for support

Save Clay Studio – Keep Creativity, Youth Work & Community Growing in Merkinch

We’re at a crisis point — and we need your help to keep Clay Studio alive.

Clay Studio is more than clay, kilns and creativity. It’s a lifeline in Merkinch — a place where young people find purpose, where families gather, where art heals, and where our community grows together. We are an important part of a neighbourhood that too often goes unheard. But now, without urgent support, we are at real risk of closing by the end of June.

We are urgently asking for a minimum of £3,000, but every pound raised beyond that will go directly to the wages, youth programmes and long-term survival of our beloved charity.

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Why We Need Your Help Now

£1,000 – Emergency Kiln Repairs

Our kiln — the heart of everything we do — is broken. Without it, classes stop. Creative therapy halts. Our studio goes quiet. This repair is urgent and essential.

£2,000 – Core Costs to Keep Us Going

These funds will keep the doors open — paying for rent, utilities, and basic operations so we can serve the young people, families, and vulnerable adults who rely on us every week.

Anything over £3,000 helps us survive

More funds mean more stability. It means we can pay our team, invest in youth support, and continue to grow as a vital community hub for Merkinch and beyond.

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What’s at Stake

Without this funding:

• Our youth club, after-school programmes, summer clubs, and community garden could disappear.

• Our role as the Youth Hub for Youth Highland in Inverness could vanish.

• Local children, teens, and adults will lose a safe, creative space that gives them purpose, skills, and community.

We’ve reached out to the council and other funders, but at this point we have no funding in place to support the immediate future. We’re not giving up though. With your help, we can buy the time we need to find sustainable funding and keep building the future our community deserves.

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How You Can Help

Donate whatever you can — no amount is too small.

Share this campaign with friends, family and local networks.

Sponsor a class, a club, or a clay session for a child or vulnerable adult.

Fund our future — help us grow, not close.

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This is urgent. This is real. And this is worth saving.

Please, stand with us. Let’s keep the Clay Studio alive — for Merkinch, for our young people, and for every person who finds strength, peace and belonging in this space.

❤️ With gratitude,

The Clay Studio team

You can make a difference by donating today to The Clay Studio (Inverness). The Clay Studio empowers young people and communities in Merkinch, Inverness—one of Scotland's most deprived areas—through accessible creative arts, youth clubs, community gardening, and inclusive programs for individuals with additional support needs. We provide affordable, safe spaces fostering skills, confidence, mental health, and community connection. By supporting local youth and adults, we're building resilience, reducing isolation, and inspiring positive futures for those who need it most.