AN APPEAL has been launched to raise £30,000 to save Kidderminster’s Jelleymans Heritage Arts Charity (JHAC) Centre and historic Victorian mill from closure.
The popular site in Puxton Lane also boasts nine acres of land which is teeming with wildlife and is classed as an area of scientific interest.
The Jelleymans Heritage Arts Charity has been working hard to preserve this important part of the town’s history.
It finds itself in its precarious situation after being hit with some huge unexpected bills ahead of Christmas.
And it comes at a time when it is growing in popularity, showcasing events and is enjoying more visitors than ever before.
Picture by Mark Humphries. s
Office and workshop spaces have been brought into use by small businesses and creatives and regular events, including the flagship JelleyFest, have been a success.
The site is home to the Crafty Jelley Wellbeing Centre and The Bungalow Cafe which is just starting to take off.
And a community garden project is currently under way and others use the centre for a variety of classes, including art, drama, ceramics, and yoga. A weekly messy play session for young children will soon launch.
Gaining in popularity
The Crafty Jelley, which supports JHAC in its work, has seen the number of social media followers it has rise from 500 to 5,000 as people sign up for the latest news and events.
Picture by Mark Humphries. s
The latest event – the recent Steam Punk Victorian Street Fayre was well attended – with plenty of positive visitor feedback.
Trish Edwards from Crafty Jelley, told the Standard: “We had a massive turn-out and everyone was saying how much they loved the event and the site.”
The Crafty Jelley team is planning more community-led events between now and April to raise funds towards the £30,000 target.
Among them will be tabletop sales, car boot sales and ‘Messy Mondays’ children’s craft activities. There will also be a wedding in March and an Alice in Wonderland scene in the Easter holidays.
Long term plan
It is hoped, as well as the history, arts and crafts, the site could become a community hub, maybe hosting the town’s foodshare and becoming a drop-off point for a school uniform scheme.
Picture by Mark Humphries. s
The Crafty Jelley Wellbeing Centre is also having a positive impact on people’s lives. Last year, it was open every day throughout the Christmas period and people who did not want to be alone even went there on Christmas Day when a barbecue was held by the river.
Among them was one man, who was going through a divorce. Since then, his outlook on life has changed and he has a new job and a new partner.
Picture by Mark Humphries. s
Margaret Bradley volunteers at The Crafty Jelley – she made a multitude of props for this year’s Christmas events, including lanterns for the Victorian Market and items for Santa’s Grotto.
She said: “I lost my dad in August and it was very traumatic – The Crafty Jelley was my support network – it was great to go there and, either sit and reflect by the river, or have some company from the others.”
Trish added: “This place is loved by so many people and is important for the town – we just can’t lose it when it is taking off.”
She issued a rallying call to people to help in any way they could with the appeal and campaign.
Visit: gofundme.com/f/ngtww-save-the-mill/ for more on the campaign and go to facebook.com/the.crafty.jelley for more on The Crafty Jelley and upcoming events.
And visit the ‘JHAC – Jelleyman’s Heritage Arts Charity’ Facebook page for further details.
