BENCHMARK

Take part in our Woodworking and Gender Equality 2024 Survey Are you part of the UK’s Woodworking or Furniture-making industry? If so, we want to hear from you, whether you are an employer, worker, teacher or student. You are invited to take part in our national survey exploring gender equality. Take the Survey: https://lnkd.in/eTjN_-4a The survey is part of the Woodworking and Gender Project which aims to empower people of marginalised genders to pursue sustainable careers in woodworking, revitalising a shrinking industry and supporting education to build a more inclusive and skilled future. We’re reaching out to people of every gender in the woodworking and furniture industry—whether you’re a sole trader, a joiner, a cabinet maker, or part of a larger company, or work or study in education—because your experiences and opinions matter. We want to understand your career journey so far, and perspectives on your future career: *What opportunities and challenges have you encountered while building a meaningful and satisfying career? *How do workshop and company culture or education influence your job satisfaction, sense of safety, and feeling of being valued? *Has gender identity shaped your experiences in the industry or education? Our Woodworking and Gender Equality 2024 Survey is your chance to share your voice and help us identify ways to create more inclusive and supportive workplaces across the industry. Please take part in the survey. Thank you #gender #equality #diversity #woodworking #furniture #industry

Share Your Insights – Woodworking and Gender Survey 2024 A key element of our Woodworking and Gender project is to gain insights from all corners of the UK’s woodworking and furniture-making industry. If you are a business employer, an employee of a furniture and woodworking business, work in education or are currently a student, we would love to hear from you. We have designed an online survey with sets of questions carefully crafted for people with different roles and experiences. https://lnkd.in/eTASHsmv Completing the survey will take 10–15 mins and will help us to: * Identify barriers and opportunities for marginalised genders in the industry, * Understand industry needs to work toward sustainable growth, * Develop initiatives that promote staff retention and inclusivity. We’d also appreciate it if you could share this survey with your staff, industry peers, and your networks who might have valuable insights to contribute. Thank you for helping us carve out a better future!

One of this year's highlight projects for us has been our work with Universal Design Studio for the British Land award-winning Norton Folgate project. Collaborating from the earliest of stages, we chose to design and make the joinery to be 'loose fit' with the hope that this flexible and adaptable approach will enable it to be kept for the lifespan of the building and not just the lease. A term that was coined back in 1972 but only embraced fairly recently, the aim of loose-fit is to design buildings in a way that components can be removed or deconstructed in the future and reconditioned for use again. At Norton Folgate, we designed and made the seemingly fitted storage and partition walls so that they can be used in another life as free-standing pieces, with solid timber on horizontal surfaces for ease of refurbishment. It's an approach that calls for early collaboration between designer, supplier and client to ensure that it is specified and budgeted for from the outset as it’s much more difficult to have these discussions once a project has been tendered, when there is rarely time to challenge the design and everyone must quote based on the same specification. Our early collaboration with the team at Universal Design Studio also allowed us to advise and influence the material choice of American red oak, a species with excellent environmental credentials, yet often overlooked. We're constantly seeking ways to reduce our environmental impact, and the impact of our clients. We're really proud of the difference we made to this project but there is more to be done. We're currently working on material passporting so that information on impact, care & maintenance, and repair, refurbish, and take back schemes can be easily accessed through the life of the product. Watch this space! We would love to collaborate on more loose-fit projects so please get in touch if you have a project at Stage 2 and would like to find out more about reducing the lifetime impact of the furniture and joinery. #powerofcollaboration #reducingimpact #sustainablefurniture #madeinwood Image credit: Felix Speller

📢 Carving Change: Woodworking and Marginalised Genders Seminar 📢 Join us at the Sylva Wood Centre, Long Wittenham, Oxfordshire for two immersive days of discussion, learning, and networking focused on transforming woodworking for marginalized genders. Here’s what to expect: 🕙 Time: 10am - 3pm (Feel free to stick around for networking afterward!) 🗓 Dates: 📅 Friday, 29th November or 📅 Saturday, 30th November The program will be the same on both days, but each day will feature different keynote speakers and a unique panel discussion! What we learn on Friday will even be incorporated into Saturday's conversations, allowing for a dynamic exchange of ideas across both days. 🎟 Tickets: Free! https://lnkd.in/efeM9BY3 ☕ What’s Included: Tea, coffee, and snacks on arrival, plus a delicious lunch to keep you fueled for the day. With limited spots (just 30 tickets per day!), we’re aiming for an intimate, informal atmosphere to foster open conversation, deeper learning, and valuable connections. This setup also offers flexibility for those unable to attend on weekdays, making it accessible to a broader community. Come join us for Carving Change, where together, we’re shaping an inclusive future for woodworking! The Woodworking and Gender project is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Conran Foundation, The Mila Charitable Trust, Benchmark Furniture Ltd, Vastern Timber Ltd. Thanks to these funding organisations and National Lottery players, we will ensure future generations of skilled and resilient women and non-binary woodworkers are able to support the woodworking heritage of this country for years to come. @heritagefunduk

Great to see this project being featured. It’s a wonderful showcase for how the use of wood and craft can bring warmth and soul, creating spaces that feel more like home than office.

By collaborating with British artisans, Pernille Lind Studio made Twenty Essex Barrister Chambers in the heart of London feel like home. Embracing the rich history of the area, she created a sophisticated interior that celebrates British craftsmanship with a sumptuous palette of natural materials and tones. Read more here: https://zurl.co/Ujny #WorkplaceWednesday

Some more information and images of this beautiful project that we are very proud to be a part of. A project with consideration and craft at its core, we worked in close collaboration with Universal Design Studio, championing the use of American Red Oak and a 'loose-fit' circular approach to the joinery for adaptability and flexibility in the years ahead. https://lnkd.in/epcaYHKG

Check out our latest project at Norton Folgate with British Land. A series of really beautiful workspaces layered with collaborations, storytelling and craft.

Looking forward to this transformative project being unveiled. It’s a beautiful design with natural materials, craft and circularity at its core and working collaboratively with lovely people - just the kind of job we love!