While we were away we began working on an idea to run workshops for local groups with a view to putting on an exhibition. Sadly we’ve not managed to get that rolling yet due to funding but we did manage to run a successful pilot session with Barton Road Community Centre.

Over the course of a few afternoons, members of Fragments helped a group from the community centre to make a large sign for the outside of the building. We were all very impressed with how quickly everyone picked up the necessary skills to make the mosaic and how willing everyone was to get stuck in and contribute.

Hopefully we’ll be able to bring you some pictures of the sign once it’s been hung.

Finally. After months of toiling in a basement, we are back home in the newly refurbished Cornerstone.

We’re still waiting for our internet connection to come back but other than that we’re fully functional.  We haven’t been sat idle these last few months and over the next few days we’ll be showing off some of the things we’ve been up to while we’ve been out of The Cornerstone.

Watch this space.

This is just a little post to say that we’re still here and that we’ve finally got our internet connection back.

Initially we had planned to only be out of our home at The Cornerstone until the end of this month so we didn’t make arrangements to have our temporary accommodation connected to the internet. Now it looks like we won’t be able to move back in until mid-June so we decided to get ourselves back online.

So yes, we’re still going, we can still be reached by e-mail and phone and hopefully we have a few things on the horizon that we’d love to share with you all.

Our home, The Cornerstone, is about to receive a much-needed and long-awaited refurbishment. This means we’ll have to move out.

Don’t worry though, we’re not closing down for good. We’ve already got some temporary accommodation lined up and we’ll be back up and running by mid-January. We’re still taking orders as usual and we can still be contacted by e-mail at the usual address (fragmentsproject@gmail.com).

The refurbishment of The Cornerstone will be quite radical, the whole layout of the building will be changing. New office and meeting space is being provided and the front of the building is being opened up to create a new cafe area which should be open to the public as well as a new accessible changing and toilet facility. If all goes to plan, we’ll be back at The Cornerstone in April.

We still have a few of our Christmas wreaths and trees left over from the craft fair this weekend.

 

The wreaths come with a slotted plate fitted for wall mounting and can be used outdoors. Our trees come fitted with a removable stand and also have a slotted plate for wall mounting.

Each of these costs £10 and you can order yours by getting in touch with us in person, over the phone or via e-mail. Our contact details are on our contacts page

Don’t miss out on your chance to buy these unique, hand-made decorations that will last for years.

Thank you to everyone who came by our stall at the Adult College this weekend.

Overall we found it a very worthwhile event. It was well attended and very reasonably priced. We managed to sell quite a few items and have already re-invested some of our takings back into the project to buy a new tile cutter.

We haven’t done as many events this year as we had originally planned but this one made up for it. Hopefully we’ll be there again next year.

On Saturday 24th November, Fragments will be at the Christmas Craft Fair at The Adult College, Lancaster. Entry to the event is free and there is plenty of parking available. Come along and see our stall, including our range of mosaic christmas decorations, signs and homeware, as well a host of other stalls from local craft makers. The craft fairs at The Adult College are always busy affairs and well worth a visit whether you’re shopping for yourself or looking for a unique gift.

How to find The Adult College

Thank you to everyone who came to see our stall at the Cornerstone open day. We always welcome the chance to meet members of the public, tell people about the work we do and show off our products. We haven’t been concentrating much on events so far this year so this was our first real public display of 2012. Before the year is up however, we’ll be trying to attend some public events or crafts fairs so keep an eye out for us.

In general terms it was a successful day for all the Cornerstone partners with a much higher attendance than any of us imagined. Each year the open day gets bigger and bigger, so here’s hoping next one continues the trend.

On Saturday the 14th of July The Cornerstone will be hosting its 2012 open day. Fragments will be there along with our parent charity, Thumbprint as well as a host of other local organisation that make use of The Cornerstone.

This event is free to enter and open to all comers. The flier below has more details as well as our address and contact details.

Fragments is a social enterprise project supported by Thumbprint, a Lancaster based charity that helps adults with learning difficulties set up and run their own projects and small business ideas.

We try to ensure our projects are able to cover their own costs but like all charities we’re really feeling the squeeze right now and could use all the help we can get to keep supporting our project members.

A really easy way to donate is through Virgin Money Giving. A not-for-profit business run by Virgin Money that helps charities and individuals raise funds safely and securely.

As a not-for-profit venture, Virgin Money Giving only takes 2% of each donation to cover their costs and all gift aid is reclaimed from HMRC and passed on to the charity in full. For more information about how Virgin Money Giving works, visit their website.

To donate to Thumbprint, click the logo below and then select a donation option.