Tucked away in a residential area on Fegg Hayes Road, Stoke-on-Trent, is the Restoration Shack. This Community Interest Company (CIC) was set up by Founder and Director Linda Williams and ran as a community project for three years. The Restoration Shack moved into its premises on Fegg Hayes Road 18 months ago and after major refurbishments, the CIC now accepts a wide range of referrals from people struggling with mental health problems, people with learning disabilities, and people with substance misuse issues or those experiencing social isolation.
Within the Restoration Shack, Linda and the team provide activities for volunteers to learn new skills and build their confidence at the same time. Practically, they upcycle and restore wooden furniture to a standard where it can then be sold on within the Restoration Shack shop, which is based in the same building as the workshop. The company was a successful recipient of the first round of Community Mental Health Transformation Programme grants, designed to support and help adults with mental health issues across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.
Representatives from North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust recently visited the Restoration Shack and it was great to see the work in full swing. Participants were working hard sanding down wooden chairs to restore them and upcycle them into quality chairs to sell in the shop. It is such a welcoming environment and we are pleased to be able to share a range a photos of the site which you can see below.
In partnership with North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, the Restoration Shack has held a number of spaces on their programme for referrals from Trust teams and services. Individuals are also welcome to self-refer or just drop in at the Restoration Shack to take a look around and meet the team.
During our visit, we also recorded a Combinations Podcast episode about the CIC which you can listen to on our Combinations Podcast channel. For more information on the Restoration Shack, or to arrange a time to visit, you can contact Linda through their Facebook page or by calling Linda on 07818110170.
