10th April 2025
The Brampton Woodworkers’ Club is based at Brampton Community Centre and has been on the go for 20 years. It runs sessions twice a week, and with 45 members and a waiting list, it is clearly popular.
Membership is open to all adults in the wider community. The vast majority are retired with the average age being around 70 and a gender split of approximately 60% men to 40% women.
People hear about the club by word of mouth, or simply from passing the Community Centre when the sessions are running. While the bulk of members are from Brampton and the surrounding area, people travel from as far as Workington to attend.
The Community Foundation provided £1,000 from the Laurel House Brampton Fund to purchase a range of hand and machine tools to replace or supplement the club’s existing range of equipment. As well as helping to ensure health and safety standards are maintained, the new equipment has enabled more members to do similar work at the same time, and helped introduce them to new tools and methods.
Members work on their own projects under the guidance of the experienced tutor, Jane Angus. The members tend to work in different groups with some using wood turners to make items such as bowls and table legs, while others work on larger items such as benches, boxes, planters, and even dining tables.
As well as providing technical guidance for the participants’ projects, Jane helps organise social events for members. There’s a Christmas meal and a barbeque in the summer for those who want to attend.
Club Treasurer Angus Timmins said: “Membership could help reduce social isolation for some through the social side of things, both at the events, and at the regular sessions. There’s quite a few who have a good catch up with each other when they arrive for the sessions. Members are very supportive of each other and the extra equipment has enhanced this with a definite feelgood factor when the equipment arrived.
“Everyone really appreciates the work that Jane puts in, both to the sessions themselves and to the socials. It’s fair to say the club provides a great benefit for the community.”