2023 Rewind … Our Growth Era.

In the first few weeks of 2024 we have been reflecting on what was a big year for Creation Mill as we move ever closer to our dream of becoming an all singing all dancing Community Textiles Hub right here in Langholm. 

Growth was definitely the theme for 2023 as we saw our staff team expand. Emma and Anna had worked on a freelance basis to get the organisation on its feet. Thanks to their successful fundraising efforts they were able to secure their own roles and bring a further 3 members of staff into the team. We are now made up of a Director, Community Project Manager, Youth and Social Media Coordinator, Young people's Assistant and Group Coordinator, working across a huge range of activities.

Thanks to the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund we have been able to work alongside well established community venues to roll out our “In Stitches” sessions across the region. Hannah, our Group Coordinator, has been busy hosting these sessions in Langholm, Eskdalemuir, Kirkpatrick - Fleming and Canonbie. These sessions have been well received and we now have over 50 “In Stitches” members reaping the benefits of crafting amongst like minded and supportive friends. Behind the scenes of these sessions this extra funding has allowed us to provide support to those members who are experiencing more acute mental wellbeing difficulties. Against a backdrop of huge NHS waiting lists, stretched 3rd sector services and the rurality of our region it can be really difficult to access mental health support when it is required. With the help of a registered Mental Health Professional we have been able to provide fully funded person centred counselling within easy reach of our members. 

“ This support has been an absolute lifeline for me helping me get back on my feet whilst stuck on hospital waiting lists. I have been able to make progress and feel I have regained the mental capacity to enjoy things like crafting in a group setting again which in turn keeps my mind healthy!”

With support from the Langholm Funders Forum and the Holywood Trust, Anna, Emma and Tessa have been busy inspiring children of all ages across our region to get involved with textiles and explore the potential career paths available within the sector. In 2023 the Team delivered a massive 136 workshops to those aged 3-18 years old! This extra capacity has also allowed us to engage in more partnership working which increases the impact that we can make on young minds. We have enjoyed working alongside local schools, youth clubs and fellow 3rd sector organisations such as the Tarass Valley Nature Reserve.
We are lucky enough to have young people who are engaged and act as fantastic advocates for Creation Mill and its work. We were mind blown when ITV Border Life came to film with us and two of our committed crafters Abbie and Lewis put the adults to shame with their confident and articulate interview skills. Their discussions with the reporter were fabulous and completely unscripted!
Another highlight of 2023 was receiving funding from SCVO which has allowed us to become very technically advanced, purchasing ipads, cameras and desktop computers which have been used by the team to guide our older children through the digital fashion design process. We have been so impressed by the creativity unleashed as a result of this future proof investment in our young people's learning.

As a Social Enterprise it is important to make sure we have a sustainable income allowing us to serve the community for many years to come. 2023 saw us dipping our toe in the world of trade shows and craft fairs. This was exciting for us all but involved a huge amount of work behind the scenes. We could not have done this without the support of our Volunteers Eileen and Sue who worked tirelessly making up craft packs and products to be sold at these events. We were able to take many of our “In stitches” members along to these nationally renowned events which saw us weighing down the coach with bags and bags of fancy yarn! 

Our in house Scrapstore remained ever popular with local crafters and we shared its treasures further afield by introducing our Scrapstore on Tour initiative.

As in previous years we were lucky enough to work with some of the most talented Textile Artists in the region to host hobby workshops in a huge range of disciplines. This saw participants travelling from as far afield as Hexham, Alston, Kirkby Stephen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow. Ensuring accessibility is hugely important to Creation Mill and with the help of our generous funders we have been able to subsidise many of these sessions giving everyone the chance to learn new skills. 

Looking forward to 2024 we are booked into even more events helping us to spread the word and bring in some much appreciated cash!

This is just a snapshot of the work that has gone on in 2023 and we have plans to make 2024 even better. As many of you who have visited us will know, we are rapidly outgrowing our premises in Langholm and have been working hard to establish a shiny new Community Textiles Hub in a previously unused mill building.  This project is well underway and we are determined to make our vision come to light over 2024 (We are fed up with tripping over bags of wool and each other!). The plans are in place and we have achieved 60% of our funding target so keep your eyes peeled for the exciting new developments that will be coming this year. If you would like to support our work towards providing this valuable resource to the people of Langholm and beyond or help us to fund any of our existing activities we would be extremely grateful. We have a simple to use donation page HERE on our website. 

Thank you to all of those who have volunteered, donated textiles, delivered workshops and attended our events in 2023. We really couldn’t do it without you all.