As part of our commitment to supporting woodworking communities, we award an annual £2,000 Axminster Tools Community Grant.

We've spent more than 50 years building our Axminster Tools community and sharing a passion for all things creative. We've met countless people committing their time and sharing their skills to raise awareness for woodworking crafts and the benefits of creativity. Together, they work tirelessly to change lives while ensuring these much loved, traditional crafts are around for people to enjoy for generations.

By highlighting these wonderful communities we can help raise awareness for key social issues within woodworking. We also want to reward and celebrate these groups who often get very little recognition or support.

Axminster Tools Community Grant

Three woodworking related charities or non-profit organisations are awarded a share of the £2,000 Axminster Tools Community Grant, divided into three separate funds of £1,250, £500 and £250 Axminster Tools vouchers.


Meet our 2023 Community Grant Winners

Oldbury Cottage Care Farm

Recipients of the £1,250 voucher


Video produced with thanks by Nuneaton Prince's Trust team 

Up the Garden Bath

Up the Garden Bath were the recipients of the 2023 £500 voucher. The community interest group take unwanted waste materials that would usually end up in landfill such as old bathtubs and upcycle them into educational garden planters and accessories. Since launching in 2020 the team have installed over 50 upcycled bathtub planters in schools, community centres and residential care homes. Up the Garden Bath use their planters to educate people about recycling and sustainability and have delivered workshops to over 10,000 children of varying ages and abilities.

Woodhub CIC

Newcastle based Woodhub CIC are an inclusive workshop who provide opportunities for people with additional needs including learning and physical disabilities, acquired brain injuries and people suffering with mental health and social anxiety. The team at Wood Hub promotes independence, creativity and the sharing of skills through woodworking. Woodhub CIC were awarded the £250 voucher to support them as they continue to build their workshop.

With thanks to all of the wonderful communities who applied for the 2023 grant. It was a difficult decision for the Axminster Tools Communities Committee. Please apply again for the 2024 grant, we loved hearing your stories.


Share your passion

Are you part of a charity or non-profit organisation using woodworking to support the community? We want to tell your story so that you can connect and share experiences with each other. By shining a spotlight on the great work you do, we can inspire others too.

What's more, every year, three communities will be awarded a share of £2,000 in Axminster Tools vouchers.


How to apply

Criteria: Applicants should be a charity or non-profit community organisation where woodworking is a main focus.

Share your story with us in a short video, no more than five minutes, explaining what you do, how you support your community and why the grant would help.

Instagram

  1. Record your story in a video
  2. Upload the video to Instagram, tag @axminstertools and use #AxminsterToolsCommunity

Go to Instagram

Email

  1. Record your application video
  2. Email it to communitiescommittee@axminstertools.com
  3. If your video is too big to attach, email communitiescommittee@axminstertools.com and request a MailBigFile link

If you are unable to record a video you may submit a written application. Please answer the same questions above and include relevant supporting materials e.g. images. Applications close on September 27th 2024 and winners will be announced early 2025. 


Skills Development Programme

Alongside the grant, we also offer the Axminster Tools Skills Development Programme, recognising new woodworking talent and rewarding them with the opportunity to learn from us. Every six months we'll choose one budding woodworker to come and spend the day with our Axminster Tools experts.


Terms & Conditions

  • Entrants under 18 will need parental or guardian permission to enter;
  • Only one entry per group is permitted;
  • Entries that are discovered to come from the same group will result in disqualification;
  • Duplicate content taken from other sites will not be allowed and will result in removal and disqualification;
  • This grant is open to UK residents only;
  • By applying for this grant, you represent and warrant that you own the content you are submitting and there are no other applicants with ownership claims over it;
  • Axminster Tools employees and their immediate families are not eligible for the grant;
  • Any entries with abusive, threatening or offensive language will be removed, blocked and will not be eligible for the grant;
  • Once we have confirmed the grant recipients, we will aim to deliver the vouchers within 14 days;
  • This promotion is not connected to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram nor is it sponsored, supported or organised by Facebook, Twitter or Instagram;
  • By applying for this grant, you agree to have your name, location, video and entry featured in the promotion of this grant and any future Axminster Tools promotional material;
  • The applications for this round of the Axminster Tools Community Grant closes at midnight on 29/09/2024;
  • There is no purchase necessary to apply, but standard broadband rates apply.