A GROUP of handy Stickmakers have carved out a bright future thanks to a £5,000 community grant.

Durham Stickmakers have been meeting for 20 years and gather twice a week to learn the traditional craft of making walking sticks, canes, staffs and shepherds’ crooks.

Durham Stickmakers applied to the Enriching Later Life programme, managed by County Durham Community Foundation, for help towards running costs.

The group was awarded a grant of £5,000 which will be used to help pay increasing rent, without having to pass on the cost to members through their subscriptions.

Alan Robson, secretary of the club, said: “We are so grateful to County Durham Community Foundation for the grant – this means a lot to the group.

“There are so many friendships that have been created between members over many years. We support one another through difficult times such as marriage breakdowns and bereavements.

“One member who has been with the group for almost 20 years lost his wife in early 2017. While he took some time out to grieve his loss, the return to the group has become more important to him than ever.”

The 37 members meet twice a week at Fencehouses Community Centre and are always open to new members.

Mr Robson said there is a real sense of camaraderie within the group and their activities help to reduce social isolation and contribute to the mental health of members, the majority of whom are older men.

Members mentor and support one another in the art and craft of stick making, so that more than half of their members are able to compete in national competitions.

Mr Robson added: “We strongly believe that we are making a real contribution to the quality of life for our members.

“Our members tell us they spend us hours at home undertaking the stick making work that doesn’t require the specialist equipment that is used in our workshop.

“This means that men are absorbed in a hobby that contributes to their mental wellbeing, feelings of satisfaction and happiness, as well as family life.

“Several times a year we go out on Stickmakers’ expeditions, which involves us visiting woodlands, with the permission of landowners, to coppice mainly hazel trees.

"This is both good for the tree in promoting its growth and provides our members with a cheap source of shanks.”

The majority of homemade sticks comprise of a handle and a shaft – which is also called a shank.

The craft of cutting a walking stick dates back to when Man first walked on two legs – starting out as a necessary tool.

It was not until the mid-15th Century in Europe that ornately carved walking sticks were associated with historical events.

The use of the word cane for a walking stick began in the 16th Century, when bamboo and other tropical grasses and reeds began to be used as shafts.

Today the word continues to refer to the use of exotic woods as well as to mean a stick with a simple taper and without a curved handle.

For more information about Durham Stickmakcrs, who meet twice a week at Fencehouses Community Centre, telephone 0191-3852583.

To find out more about County Durham Community Foundation grants, go to www.cdcf.org.uk