Our Workshops
As a Community Interest Company, we deliver four strands of creative activity rooted in heritage craft, wellbeing and community connection. Each strand is outlined below.
Strand 1
# National Lottery Funding – Free Workshops for 2026
We are delighted to share that we have been awarded funding from
The National Lottery Community Fund.
This support enables us to:
* Deliver a new series of local Weaving and Carving workshops
* Provide additional materials for members of the Weardale Weaving and Whittling Club
* Widen access to high-quality heritage craft experiences at no cost to new participants
New Free Workshops – Starting April 2026
Thanks to this funding, we are launching a new programme of free workshops for Weardale residents beginning in April 2026.
Cowshill Village Hall
Weaving 10am-12pm on Wednesdays the 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th April and 6th May
Whittling and Carving 12.30pm - 2.30pm on Wednesdays the 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th April and 6th May
Witton le Wear at St Phillip and St James Church
Weaving 10am-12pm on Monday the 27th April and 4th May
Whittling and Carving 12.30pm - 2.30pm on Monday the 27th April and 4th May
Harehope Quarry Frosterley
Weaving 10am-12pm on Wednesdays from 13th May through to 1st July
Whittling and Carving 12.30pm - 2.30pm on Wednesdays from 13th May through to 1st July
To book your place please email and await your confirmation at
letstalk@thewigglypathcompany.com
Strand 2
The Weardale Weaving and Whittling Club
Weekly Workshops – Thursdays & Fridays
Looking for time each week to slow down, make with your hands, and connect with others?
Our friendly club runs on a simple monthly subscription, much like a gym membership, giving you a regular 2-hour session each week in a small, supportive group.
By attending consistently, you’ll build skills steadily, grow in confidence, and become part of a welcoming creative community. Your place is secured each month, so you can settle into the rhythm of making.
We keep our sessions affordable and accessible.
Get in touch to find out our latest low-cost membership options — we’d love to hear from you.
Session Times:
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Weaving: 10am – 12pm
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Carving: 1pm – 3pm
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Thursdays and Fridays
letstalk@thewigglypathcompany.com
Strand 3
Partnerships & Bespoke Workshops
We work alongside other Social Enterprises and community organisations to deliver creative workshops for their participants.
If you’re interested in collaborating or commissioning a bespoke programme, we’d be happy to hear from you.
Strand 4
Patron Full-Day Workshops
We also offer Patron Full Day Workshops on selected weekends.
These can be booked via CraftCourses.com or inquire directly through our email letstalk@thewigglypathcompany.com
Previous Grant Support
We have previously delivered funded Weaving and Whittling programmes supported by the North East Business Innovation Centre.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who has supported and participated in our sessions. Many continue their creative journeys through our Weardale Weaving and Whittling Clubs.
A special thank you to Lakes and Dales Co-operative for their grant enabling us to purchase portable vices for workshops. These have significantly improved participants’ ability to work safely and confidently on larger carving projects.
If you’re curious about weaving, whittling, or carving and would like to try your hand at these heritage crafts, we’d love to hear from you:
Here is what some of our participants have had to say about our community workshops......
“Learning new skills; chatting and laughing lifts my mood and energy and realising that I can be creative boosts my confidence”
“I like being able to relax and switch off from everyday expectations”
“Being able to be totally free and creative by learning something totally new and able to use what’s around us.”
“These workshops have totally been way beyond my expectations”
“Meeting up each week really helps me; without this group I wouldn’t get out. Exploring mindfulness through crafts in a peaceful environment with great encouragement has been a life saver. My mental health has really improved since starting to come here”
“Learning new skills in a fun friendly atmosphere where I feel free to laugh and join in has really helped me.”
Harehope Quarry
https://www.harehopequarry.org.uk/
Harehope Quarry is a Local Wildlife Site with areas of wet woodland, species-rich limestone grassland and ponds and rivers. The site is renowned for its exposures of Frosterley Marble as well as characteristic features of limestone geology, including Jacob’s Pot. The Venue is a purpose built workshop with both inside and outside working areas. Light refreshments coffee, tea and biscuits are available throughout the sessions.
Testimonials
"Fantastic course, great tutors"
"Time well spent"
"Thank you for your kindness and generosity sharing your skills."
"wonderful restorative session"
"Sarah and Colin provide a safe space for individuals to take some time out and be mindful while they focus on a project. It gives them time and space away from what is going on in their lives and some respite from busy, stressed minds. Patients I have referred into these sessions have benefitted so much. Patients will tend to feel incredibly nervous at their first session, but Sarah and Colin’s relaxed approach, and warm and welcoming nature, really makes people feel comfortable, and in time, they begin to feel comfortable enough to share small aspects of their lives. It is beautiful to witness and reassuring as a referrer to be confident in the benefits that these sessions will provide."
Sarah Hodgson DDHF
