training | HFS

Job successes

18/10/2019H F SBexhill, confidence, courses, employability, employment, experience, get back to work, Hastings, job, jobs, Rye, skills, St Leonards, support, sussex, training, volunteer, volunteering, work

Pete joined our team two months ago. He was made redundant over 12 months ago, after 25 years in the same job.

Volunteering showed that Pete preferred being active and working hard rather than staying at home, and proved he could adapt to a new workplace. Pete got a job after just a few weeks with us. He said that volunteering with us boosted his confidence and helped him over the final hurdle of getting a job.

Katie had been looking for work for 3 years before she joined us as a volunteer at the reception in our Priory Meadow store earlier this year. Getting back into work after taking time out to look after young children can be really hard, especially if you need work that will fit in around school hours and holidays.

Katie built up her confidence and worked with Angie to update her CV and fill in applications. Katie was ecstatic to get a job interview … then became extremely nervous. Practicing suitable answers that explained her relevant experience helped, and she was offered the job at her first interview.

Katie says “If it wasn’t for you guys I would not have got this perfect job, thank you so much”

Max started volunteering with us 3 months ago. He has been looking for a job in IT since he left college a year ago. Not having anything to do, Max had shut himself away at home and he was very quiet. He had become isolated and felt he had no confidence.

Max worked well with the team and started to gain confidence. He is a very intelligent, articulate young man. He has been offered a job with a local Council’s IT department. He says that if he hadn’t come to us to volunteer that he would still be stuck in his bedroom.

Read more about volunteering at hfs

Women With Wood

01/10/2017H F Sadult education, Bexhill, carpentry, course, feminist, free, how to, learn, Pelham, Rother Voluntary Action, RVA, Sidley, tools, training, women, wood, woodwork

Have you ever wanted to learn about carpentry and woodwork?

We’ve teamed up with Rother Voluntary Action to offer these FREE women’s woodworking sessions in Sidley, with lunches provided by the Chaps Cooking Course!

To book contact Lindsay at RVA: 01424 217 259

WoW van visits

15/06/2017H F Scarpentry skills, charity, Hastings, learning, Ore, training, women's sheds, workshop on wheels, workshops for women

Our Workshop On Wheels has been visiting a group of women at the Oasis community project in Ore.

Everyone had a great time learning more about DIY, carpentry and furniture restoration with our tutor Ron and completing their own projects.

The van is moving on to visit a group at Working Wonders this month – helping them sand down and restore the benches in their community allotment.

If you’d like the van to visit your neighbourhood group in Hastings and Rother, do get in touch, we’ll see what we can do!

Learn more about HFS in seconds

01/03/2017H F SBexhill, Did you know, facts, fun fast facts about hfs, funding, furniture reuse, Hastings, information, photos, Rother, services, slideshow, training

Learn more about HFS in seconds with our Did You Know slideshow (click the picture to view)

Welcome the WoW van!

31/01/2017H F Scarpentry, charity, craft, DIY, free course, furniture, neighbourhood, repair, social, training, WoW

We’re excited to be launching our ‘Workshop on Wheels’ – making DIY and craft activities accessible to people in a wide range of community venues and neighbourhoods around Hastings and Rother.

The large WoW van has been customised with workbenches and tool cupboards so that our skilled tutors can take the workshop to visit groups of people and provide practical activities such as repairing furniture, making items from scrap wood and craft projects.

Having run workshops and courses at our stores in Hastings and Bexhill for many years, we are excited to have found a way to take some of these activities out into the community so that more people can enjoy taking part without the difficulty or expense of travelling to us.

The positive impact of making activities on health and wellbeing is well documented, and we hope that the small neighbourhood groups will be a great way for people to meet up with their neighbours as well as getting to know new people in their area. Our in-store workshops have taught us that, for many people, making or repairing something for their home is a deeply meaningful activity that increases their confidence and gives them a more positive outlook on life.

The WoW project has been supported by the Hastings and Rother CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group), allowing the workshop sessions to be offered totally free of charge to local residents.

The interior of the WoW van has been kitted out with funds raised by HFS patron Mark Thomas at a pre-gig talk at St Mary’s in the Castle in November last year.

First stops on the WoW van’s journey will be:

Four Courts Community Centre on Stonehouse Drive
Robsack Centre in Bodiam Drive

The workshops will run every Friday at 10am and 1.30pm respectively for four weeks starting from February 10th. Future venues and dates will be added to our workshop calendar throughout the year so watch out for WoW popping up somewhere near you!

To take part, just come and say hello to our team with the WoW van at your nearest location.

Spring 2017 workshop dates

23/01/2017H F Sadult education, Bexhill, calming, carpentry, confidence, courses, crafts, creative, decoupage, friendly, fun, furniture restoration, Hastings, paint effects, recycled materials, self-esteem, supportive, training, upcycling

Our springtime workshop dates are now available!

Join a small, supportive group to enjoy decoupage, furniture restoration, carpentry or paint effects at one of our workshops in Hastings or Bexhill.

Free or low cost – discounts for low income households. All materials and tools provided.

Make something special to take home with pride.

See the calendar and joining info here.

Crafty workshops for 2017

01/01/2017H F Sadult education, Bexhill, carpentry, charity, course, craft, decoupage, fun, Hastings, learn, meet people, painting furniture, restoration, skills, socialise, tools, training, wellbeing, wellmaking, workshop

Our happy new prices prozac online, year starts with some wonderful workshops.

Join a small group and get creative at one of our workshops in Hastings or Bexhill.

Starting in January:

Decoupage – starts Tues 10th

Furniture Restoration – starts Weds 11th

Carpentry for beginners – starts Thurs 12th

Paint Effects – starts Fri 13th

These courses run for 4-6 weeks and are open to anyone. Free if your household receive a means-tested benefit or working tax credits.

Carpentry course starting soon

07/11/2016H F Sadult education, Bexhill, carpentry, course, DIY, free course, fun, making, recycle, tools, training, upcycle, wood, woodwork, workshop

Learn how to use tools safely and make some items from scratch from reused bed-slats. If you have a carpentry project idea in mind, get it done with advice from our expert Ron.

Starts Weds 16th November and runs for 6 weeks 10-1 at HFS Bexhill.

This is a Community Learning course. The fee is £60 but if your household receives means-tested benefits or working tax credits it is FREE.

Click here to read more about our courses

Come to our wellmaking workshops!

08/07/2016H F SBexhill, carpentry, Community, crafts, creative courses, fun, furniture restoration, Hastings, learning, skills, supportive groups, training

People have been really enjoying our Wellmaking Workshops – 6 sessions of creative fun, learning new skills and making friends.

Comments so far: “I think the workshops have really boosted my wellbeing. I feel much more confident and look forward to coming out to the workshop each week. I’m very proud of what I’ve made.”

There are more workshops coming up in DIY Essentials, Paint Effects and Carpentry so book your place now!

Read more