Workbridge, the vocational and educational arm of St Andrew's Healthcare, has recently been approved as a woodturning accredited delivery centre.

This means patients, adult learners, youth offenders, charities and the general public can attend bespoke workshops and are able to gain official accreditation in the craft. In addition to that, the sessions have formed part of participating patients' therapeutic package, which has seen some impactful results.

The sessions have recently become more inclusive as The Worshipful Company of Turners, an organisation that supports all things related to woodturning, donated a wheelchair-access lathe. This piece of kit now facilitates a fully inclusive workshop for people across the charity and community who live with mobility impairment.

Members of the organisation recently presented the wheelchair-access lathe on their visit to Workbridge, where staff gratefully received the piece of equipment. 

But, even before the lathe was lent to the charity, the woodturning sessions had already started to make a big impact on patients at the Northampton hospital. 

A patient from St Andrew's Healthcare's deaf service, said: "I feel I belong as a deaf man, and that I’ve found something I’m actually good at.”

The patient has been attending sessions in the historic craft now for a number of months and each time he turns up, he learns something new. The sessions have been developed by woodturning expert Stuart Whitney, who has devoted a lot of his spare time to honing the craft, and ensuring they are accessible to as many people as possible.

Stuart said: “Now, the woodturning workshops are part of the adult vocational pathways and wellbeing programmes on offer to people being supported by St Andrew’s, and also as part of a community referral pathway, which is open to the general public.

“Regardless of the route being followed, the aim is to make all  our  course attendees feel safe, valued, and part of a team when they walk through the workshop door.

“The primary motivation is to support those that want to experience woodturning and to guide them along their woodturning journey, whether it be a one-day workshop, a certificate course, a half-day course or as part of a referred wellbeing therapeutic programme.”

For many patients, the art of woodturning has given them purpose, with one person who said: "I’ve never done anything like this before and although I was a bit frightened of the machines at first, I got over my fears. I believe woodturning has given me confidence in many other areas in life. I feel capable.”

Another patient said  that taking part in the sessions had been a “life saver”.

They added: “I know that I can just walk into the studio on a bad day and just forget all of my worries. I have learnt so much already and will gladly keep learning. I have enjoyed working with everybody and I have felt that my confidence has grown immensely. Woodturning has literally become my safe space.”

Senior Occupational Therapist Dominic Carlisle at St Andrew’s has acknowledged the therapeutic benefits of the woodturning sessions.

He said: “Patients enter the workshop - which has become their place of calm and creativity – and are introduced to an un-crafted rough piece of wood, they are supported to transform it into a functional, artistic, practical and aesthetic piece of craft. 

“Our deaf patients not only see the wood, they feel it, touch it and smell it. This process has no pressure, but the accomplishment and skill they benefit from can give them meaning which they may never have experienced before.

“The sense of achievement intrinsically gives both hope and connection to others and the community.”

For more information about the woodturning workshops please contact Stuart Whitney, Workbridge Creative Specialist: swhitney@stah.org