Artizan International Benefits From Freemasons Donation

Aiding the Craft Aiders! Pictured behind the table and holding the cheque are, from left, Artizan International Founder, Suzie Hart, Harlow Lodge Immediate Past Master Leigh Eyles and volunteer Anne.

​A Harrogate charity which empowers and supports people with disabilities to meet their full potential through therapeutic craft activities, has been given a £2,000 boost from local Freemasons.
 
Members of Harlow Lodge, which meets at Harrogate’s Masonic Hall, successfully applied to the Province of Yorkshire West Riding’s Provincial Grand Master’s Fund for a grant for Bilton-based Artizan International, formerly known as Craft Aid International.
 
The charity runs free weekly craft workshops for differently-able adults in Harrogate, Ripon and Leeds, and also runs workshops for long-term hospital inpatients.
 
This provides vital opportunities for people with disabilities to get out of their care homes or hospital beds, increase their social interaction, make new friends, build their confidence and learn new skills in a caring, supportive and creative environment.
 
It also runs a “Mosaics for Schools” project, which involves training differently-able people in mosaics skills, and then taking them in to local primary schools, to teach the children how to make a large-scale mosaic for their school.
 
Additionally, it has recently started new after school craft clubs for children with disabilities.
 
Charity founder Suzie Hart said: “I would like to say a big thank you to the members of Harlow Lodge for this donation. As we are expanding our services, this money will allow us to purchase craft equipment and raw materials for the free therapeutic crafts sessions that we run in the community.”
 
Harlow Lodge charity steward David Simister said: “It was our pleasure to nominate Artizan International for a grant and I’m delighted it was successful.
 
“This is a great organisation that supports disabled people, not just in Harrogate, but in Ripon and Leeds too, and is now going into schools.
 
“Each year, the Provincial Grand Master’s Fund gives grants totalling £200,000 to a wide range of charities, schools, community groups and hospices across the geographical area of the Province of Yorkshire West Riding.
 
“And just like Artizan International, there are a huge amount of charities in the Harrogate District who could do with a financial lift to help them continue the great work they are doing within our communities.”