Sew Mindful Crafts is a non-for-profit company, this means we operate as a business but any profits that are made go back into the business, to help us improve our services to the community.
Our purpose is to support our community and the City of Doncaster to help:
- People connect
- Reduce isolation
- Build positive mental health and resilience
- Learn new skills, (including literacy and numeracy)
- Build confidence
- Promote independence
- Reduce costs and waste by having the skills to mend, repair and repurpose clothing/fabrics and accessories.
We do this by making crafting more accessible to our community and the City of Doncaster by providing a well-equipped and specialist workshop area and offering a wide range of crafting activities and workshops for all ages . This removes some of the barriers people may experience when trying to engage in crafting activities (like the financial cost of equipment and the opportunity to attend activities).
How we make decisions
We have a team of Directors who are responsible for the management and running of Sew Mindful Crafts.
Our Directors are all people that are invested in our aims and in our community and The City of Doncaster, and they either live or have lived in the area. They come from a range of backgrounds and have different skills and experience to ensure our decision making is informed, balanced and in the best interests of our community.
We have a minimum membership requirement of three unrelated Directors, our Directors meet quarterly to review, discuss, and agree decisions about how Sew Mindful Crafts is being run and will continue to be run. Any decision of the Directors is made by a majority decision at a meeting, unless they have agreed to discharge specific decision making to a nominated individual.
Who are our Directors?
Mick Perry – Chair, related to Tracy Perry
Mick is the founding member of Sew Mindful Crafts, alongside his wife Tracy. He’s suffered with anxiety for many years and has personal experience of the things that can help. He wanted to create a community space for people to come together, socialise and build friendships, whilst taking part in different crafting activities, and Sew Mindful Crafts CIC was born. He previously worked as a builder, running his successful building business for over 30 years.
Tracy Perry – related to Mick Perry
Tracy is a successful businesswoman. She’s worked in and around crafting for around 30 years, starting out as a machinist, going on to then work in retail in a fabric and furnishings shop and then starting her own business in 2014. In 2017 she opened her own bricks and mortar fabric and haberdashery store, Sew Cute Fabrics in Edlington, where she grew up.
Lawrence Buckley – Unrelated to any other Director
Lawrence is a company Director (Metro Locksmiths Ltd) & a former Youth & Community Worker who was involved in running a young dads project for Rotherham YMCA in the Dearne Valley before working for YMCA England delivering youth work sessions with young offenders in HMYOI Wetherby & HMP Newhall. In his time working at HMP Newhall he ran the Friday night craft session on the juvenile wing of the prison and delivered the Youth Achievement Awards scheme.
Sandra Forey – Unrelated to any other DirectorSandra has over 40years experience in bookkeeping and admin, she has worked for several companies over the years and enjoys this role, she has a passion for sewing and crafting in her spare time. And loves long walks with her dogs, Sandra has now joined the team at Sew Mindful Crafts and offers her time and knowledge with the admin and bookkeeping.
Maisey Matheson – Unrelated to any other Director Maisy has 6 years of experience within customer service and administration starting out as
an insurance advisor and office administrator. She is now a locksmith, fire & security engineer. She has lived many places across the world being brought up around the army, leading her to have a can do attitude and the ability to speak and relate to new people from all backgrounds. She is also dog obsessed, having two dogs of her own, Bert and Doris.
What our customers think
Since January 2023 over 1200 people have attended our sessions and over 600 people have given us feedback when they attended a workshop, this is what they said:
Recent Projects
Since January 2023 we’ve successfully provided regular crafting workshops; ranging from beginner’s learning how to sew, workshops making bags, workshops making toys, papercraft sessions, workshops teaching technical aspects of dressmaking and workshops making garments of clothing.
We’ve worked with The Ridge Employability College, providing beginners workshops for students and carers. Those attending were introduced to a sewing machine, learnt how to use a sewing machine and learnt how to make a book cushion cover.
We’ve worked with Evestrust, providing workshops for children and young people impacted by terminal & serious Cancer conditions. Those attending the workshops were introduced to different crafting techniques and made some bunting.