Willow Club
This is for people who want to:
Grow and/or weave willow
Keep the traditional varieties and techniques of willow weaving alive for future generations
Be part of a self-governed community of willow enthusiasts
Connect to the land, the seasons and each other through willow
Learn and grow with each other
Get together (in person) on a monthly basis
Read on for more details….
All the details…
But what actually is it, I hear you cry?!
What does it involve? A monthly meet up at Laurelbank Farm on the second Tuesday of the month, plus longer weaving days at the farm throughout the year.
What are the dates for 2025? The first meet up was on Tuesday 18 March. The next meet up will be on Tuesday 10 June.
What is the plan for the meet ups? We will figure this out as we go along. On Tuesday 8 April we will look at the willow we have, make some bird feeders, and maybe some basket bases, and make plans for our first willow weaving day
Who can join? Anyone can become a member. Member’s can bring a friend along to a Tuesday meet up if they are interested, for a £10 drop in cost.
What does it cost? £80 for the whole year - paid in advance. We have to charge extra for weaving days (say £20 per person) to cover some overheads.
Where will we get our willow? There is currently loads of willow at the farm and we can just help ourselves (for free). If we start to run out we can buy some (using our membership fees) or grow more at the farm.
What else will we spend membership fees on? Jo will charge Willow Club a small room rental fee for our meet ups to cover some of the farm overheads (insurance, heating, cleaning etc). We can also spend money on tools and equipment if we decide that’s useful. We could pay for a teacher to come and run a course for us!
Who is running this thing?! This is the first project run through the Laurelbank Community Interest Company - a non-profit social enterprise that Jo hopes, will eventually take over more of the farm’s activities.
But, the plan is that Willow Club runs itself. The members decide what it should be, how it runs, what it spends membership fees on and what activities we do.
Please email me at jo@laurelbankfarm.org if you have any questions about Willow Club.
