The Great Make
The Great Make
Join us for a summer of creativity
Could this be the summer you write your first song?
Can you make a new item of clothing out of old ones?
Knit your first woolly hat, create your first friendship bracelet, or carve your first spoon?
Get your friends, family and colleagues to sponsor you to make at least 1 thing you’ve never made before. Challenge yourself to make as many things as you can in a day. Or make and sell something great!
Whatever your Great Make, make it for SWEDA.
Every penny raised will go towards our vital work supporting people across the South West affected by eating disorders.
Thanks to the artists, crafivisits, musicians and many more who came together to get crafty at the launch of #TheGreatMake. What a way to kick off our summer fundraising campaign! We hope the creativity on show inspires folks far and wide to get hands on with their own #GreatMake for SWEDA.
Special thanks to:
Laura at Colourful Minds (@colourful_minds_kids) for sharing her Powerful Flowers workshop
Tamara and the Bristol Craftivists (@craftyescapism) teaching us how to stitch positivity prompts
Local artists and makers: Hannah (@hannahkbroadway), Olivia (@nostalgic_sewing), Abbie and Arthur
Gavin Osborn (@mrgavinosborn) for bringing the tunes on his guitar
Bristol Folk House (@bristolfolkhouse) for hosting us in their cafe and courtyard.
There’s nothing like giving yourself the time to dream up a new creation made by your very own hands. The chance to escape the stresses of daily life, to delve into your imagination and utilise the creative corners of your brain that we often neglect.
Studies show that craft can help lower stress levels, giving you an outlet for creative expression and allowing the more logical side of your brain to switch off for a moment. It offers a break away from the to-do list conveyor belt, a chance to concentrate on something purely for enjoyment, rather than professional gain. There’s also the sense of pride that comes with completing (and showing off) a finished item, finding a place for it in your home or wardrobe, or even gifting it to someone else.
For some of our clients, having something to do with their hands while talking can be soothing, helping release anxiety or provide something else to focus on when a break is needed. Beading a necklace, knitting, crocheting and embroidery are all activities that involve repetitive action which requires less concentration, leaving the mind free for other tasks. In our Children & Young People service, having fiddle toys and building blocks to be creative with can often help relax and focus our clients’ minds.
Whenever we make something new, it also gives us a sense of mastery, creative purpose and achievement. That immense pride we all feel when learning something new.
Other benefits of making and crafting can include:
Better focus and concentration, problem-solving, patience, frustration tolerance, resilience, and the ability to ask for help when we need it. It’s a self-soothing and self-care tool. In many cases, crafts are also portable and can be taken into settings outside of the home where self-soothing may be needed.
As you, or somebody close to you, may know from personal experience, it can be incredibly difficult to access the right kind of support when you’re coping with an eating disorder.
But we know that early intervention and rapid access to specialist support is the most effective way to restore livelihoods and save lives.
SWEDA is determined to be there for the people who fall through the gaps.
We are the only charity in the South & West of England to provide preventative and recovery focused support, which works to address the root causes of disordered eating.
As demand for our services continues to grow, we need your help more than ever. As a charity, we’re reliant on the support of our community to be able to keep providing our specialist support services to those who have nowhere else to turn.
Textiles
Knitting | Tie-dye | Crochet | Patchwork | Visible Mending | Up-cycling | T-shirt printing | Silk painting | Rug making | Embroidery
Painting
Watercolours | Painting pottery | Paint a portrait of someone you love (or a pet!) | Paint a mural on a garden wall | Paint some birthday cards | Canal barge flowers
Drawing
Sketch a landscape you love | Draw your friends | Calligraphy | Illumination | Knotwork | Cartoon characters | Make a comic | Animation
Writing
Short stories | Songs | 'Cut-up' poetry | Reverse poetry
Traditional crafts
Basket weaving | Natural cordage | Spinning yarn
Other crafts
Linocutting | Pottery | Origami | Collage | Zine-making | Friendship bracelets | Puppet making | Baking | Gardening | Dancing
1. Choose your craft
There are so many ways to get involved with the Great Make. However you fundraise, you will be helping someone take the next step towards a more hopeful future! If you'd like to talk through your ideas, or need tips for fundraising, we'd love to hear about your plans. Get in touch by emailing our Fundraising Lead, Gavin, at gavinosborn@swedauk.org.
2. Set-up an Online Page
Fundraising online is easy. Set up an online page on Just Giving or Enthuse and donations will come directly to SWEDA.
Set a fundraising target and add a photo to personalise your page.
Don’t forget to share your story and let others know WHY you’re fundraising. Sharing your own motivations for supporting SWEDA is a brilliant way to let people know why their support makes a difference and why it matters to you.
You can also add a link to our website www.swedauk.org to help explain why SWEDA’s work is important and how support will help.
3. Spread the word
Share your page wherever you can – social media pages, emails, texts, as far and wide as possible - to let your friends and family know what you’re doing and why. Keep everyone updated on how you’re doing! Whether by sponsoring your page or by helping out at the fundraising event, sharing your journey keeps people engaged and jogs their memory to help if they haven’t before. Famously, people need to be asked about 3 times before they decide to chip in. We can share your pages and events on our social media channels too, so don’t forget to tag SWEDA (@SWEDAUK on Facebook, @sweda_uk_org on Instagram and @SWEDAUK on LinkedIn).
4. More tips for fundraising from SWEDA
Have a read of our Fundraising page, which includes FAQS, a Fundraising Pack, sponsorship forms, and everything you might need for a successful fundraising effort.
5. Have a fantastic fundraiser!
Whatever you choose to do for SWEDA, your support is going to help people affected by eating disorders take the first steps on the road to recovery.
If you'd like to make a bank transfer to send your fundraising to us, you can email the team at gavinosborn@swedauk.org and we can send payment details to you.
You can also send a cheque to our address at The Coach House Harvest Court, Park Rd, Shepton Mallet BA4 5BS
