Plan My Project - Case Studies

Blacksmithing Project

This project added Blacksmithing to the unique range of therapeutic activities available at Bridewell Organic gardens.

Bridewell Organic gardens assists people with mental health or learning difficulties living in West Oxfordshire, through innovative therapeutic activity such as horticulture and viticulture.

Formal training can create undue pressure, increasing anxiety and exacerbating, rather than helping with, mental health and learning difficulties.

This unique Blacksmithing project fits with the overall ethos which provides un-pressurised opportunities for learning and working at the individuals own pace.

As well as offering blacksmithing within Bridewell, the project built a mobile forge which is toured around the area, at shows and events. This has taken the students out into the community and has increased community awareness of the client group and of blacksmithing.

Excluding the capital expenditure to set up the mobile forge (which will be used for many years to come), the cost of blacksmith provision at Bridewell is the same as that of any other therapeutic activity and can be sustained from core funding sources.

More than 270 people with mental health or learning difficulties have been able to experience Blacksmithing as a result of this project. This has helped to develop confidence and self-esteem, and may provide a possible route to new careers.

As well as offering learning opportunities, the project was designed as part of a self-build ethos and items produced are sold to generate income, or used in the garden as plant supports, or structures.

The project team had all the skills necessary to run the project but initially found the administration and claiming processes onerous. A key to the success of this project was the blacksmith who remained in post throughout.

The only area where unforeseen difficulties occurred was in underestimating the cost of building a suitable mobile forge as a result quality was reduced to keep within the budget. More research into the real cost before project design would have been helpful.

Sustainability was considered from the outset. It was envisaged that the Blacksmiths project would become partly self-financing through commissions, sales and training. It was also recognised that sources of additional funding would be needed but would be easier to find once the project had proved itself.

This element of the project has been so successful - opening up a considerable demand for products - that Bridewell Organic gardens is now, with further help from Leader +, forming a Social Enterprise Company using the mobile forge which aims to be self-financing within 3 years.

There has been a real impact on the client group and the wider community has had access to a service which did not exist before. The understanding of the work done by Bridewell and of those with mental health problems has been enhanced as a result of this project.

To see the full evaluation report for this project click here.

To email the project manager click here.

To see other case studies click here.