Grant helps Durham Stick Makers preserve ancient craft
Help for group which sticks together to preserve ancient heritage skills. Tony Henderson reports
A funding boost will ensure that a heritage group will stick around to practise their craft.
Durham Stick Makers teaches and promotes the art of making traditional walking sticks, canes and shepherds’ crooks from timber, animal horn and antlers, a skill which dates back centuries.
The group meets twice a week at Fence Houses Community Centre and is the only one of its type in the North East.
A £1,836 grant from the Banks Group’s Banks Community Fund will allow the group to acquire specialist equipment and will give them more capacity to accommodate new members.
The group’s 35 members range in age from the twenties to the nineties.
As well as preserving their historic craft, the group also offers charitable help to people who require a walking stick due to injury, age-related disabilities and financial difficulties.
Durham Stick Makers’ secretary Michael Timmins said: “Our group was born out of a desire to keep this endangered heritage craft alive, and our aim is to preserve it, educate future generations about it and engage with the local community.
“Walking sticks made by Durham Stick Makers are special - a craft inherited from past generations which is truly an art and a heritage skill that needs to be preserved.
“The social side of what we do is also really valuable, with the chance to spend time in a welcoming environment a couple of times a week being especially important for the well-being of many of our older members.
“Giving a craft like stick making a sustainable future means gaining younger people’s interest in it, giving them the chance to learn all about it from those who have the knowledge they need and providing the equipment they need to put their learning into action.”
Kate Culverhouse, community relations manager at the Banks Group, said: “Incredible levels of skill and craftsmanship go into making these wonderful creations and it’s a pleasure to see these local experts at work.
“The Durham Stick Makers have a real commitment to pass their knowledge on to future generations and we’re very pleased to be supporting their drive towards doing so.”
For further information on the Durham Stick Makers, visit the website.