As Official Overlay Supporter to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, GL events UK has been committed to supporting social value initiatives across the West Midlands which promote positive change in the lives of those most in need of support. A key partner in this undertaking has been the Jericho Foundation, a charity based in Balsall Health which, through a variety of social projects, supports individuals while providing them with a practical safety net of skills development and opportunities such as training, employment, and life skills.
One of these social projects, The Wood Shack, based in Sutton Coldfield reclaims, reuses, and recycles wood from various sources, both to sell directly to the public, and to create a range of timber products for sale, which are produced using the skills of The Wood Shack’s team of apprentices
At the request of the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee, The Woodshack had the opportunity recently to create bespoke timber features at two of the Games time venues: time trial thrones for cyclists at Wolverhampton’s West Park and wooden signage for Smithfield.
The time trial is a race between cyclists who compete only against themselves and the clock. Accordingly, three thrones (first, second and third place) were specially created by The Woodshack’s team for the Games, which were used by the three leading riders in the time trial sit down until they were replaced by a rider with a faster time. It took The Woodshack two to three weeks to complete the three thrones, with apprentices working alongside The Woodshack’s experienced carpenters. It is hoped that the thrones will have a second life in the local community, as part of the Games’ legacy programme.
The Smithfield wood panels were crafted in less than two months from reclaimed timber such as oak and plywood. In total, there were 60 panels that made up a sign bearing the text “Welcome to Smithfield”. Each panel was cut to length and treated as a team effort by apprentices, drivers, and management.
”The Games have played an important role in showcasing our small social enterprise and helped us be publicly recognised on a national scale.
Lucy WatkinManager at The Woodshack
Lucy Watkins, Manager at The Woodshack commented, “It was an honour to be closely involved in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. The Games have played an important role in showcasing our small social enterprise and have helped us be publicly recognised on a national scale.”
“Our staff also benefited from the Games, whether it was developing more skills or being trained on new equipment. In addition, they had a vested interest in seeing their items be used at the venues. We are very grateful for this opportunity and thank all of The Woodshack’s staff for their support and participation. It was an amazing team effort!”
As part of GL events’ Social Value programme, we have funded two apprenticeships for The Woodshack, providing two young people with the opportunity to start a career and gain skills and valuable employment experience. As part of our sustainability commitment, we have also donated all timber used on GL events’ Overlay delivery for Birmingham 2022, to The Woodshack for reuse on their project.
Find out more about The Woodshack here.
