Page 34 • The HERALD • 17th July 2025 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES v PolarPlastics PVC-U SPECIALIST IN: l WINDOWS l DOORS l CONSERVATORIES l FASCIAS l CLADDING l GUTTERING l GLASS UNITS l WINDOW REPAIRS l FENCING & GATES www.polarplastics.co.uk Email: sales@polarplastics.co.uk l Open 6 Days a Week l No Hard Sale Family Business l 10 Year Insurance Backed Guarantee Registered Company 10 HOLBURY PRECINCT, HOLBURY DROVE, HOLBURY TEL: (023) 8089 9611 • Re-Skimming • Rendering • Coving • Dry Lining • Tacking • Artex Covered • Floor Screeding www.tbrownplastering.co.uk Call: 07919 183989 Friendly • Reliable • Professional • Free Estimates WILLIS DECORATING & JOINERY SERVICES Est Since 1986 Interior & Exterior Painting & Decorating Wallpaper Hanging Hand-painted Kitchens & Spray Finishes Wardrobes, Bookcases, Radiator Covers Call David on 023 8084 9800 or 07946 048261 E: david.willis24@btinternet.com Love Letter to Waterside Craft Club by Natalie Haigh Point of view: When you can’t find a group that you want to join, you build one. When I rst started sewing, it wasn’t love at rst stitch. In fact, it took a while before I felt con dent enough to share my makes and feel proud of what I could create. Although I enjoyed the activity, I soon began to feel lonely. Sewing, like many other cra s, is o en a solo pursuit; hours spent quietly with just your materials and maybe some music for company. I yearned to chat with others, to share my growing knowledge, and to learn new techniques from more experienced sewers. In August 2021, I visited the Hythe of Activity event in the village, where lots of voluntary and social organisations had gathered. I was hoping to nd a sewing or social cra ing group to join. To my delight, there was exactly such a group, run by the U3A (University of the ird Age). I eagerly approached the stand to ask how to join, only to discover I was ineligible due to my age. I was also told about a couple of church-run knitting groups, but I couldn’t (and still can’t) knit. I looked online and found plenty of courses I could take from home, but they o ered little in the way of social interaction. ere were also a few in-person workshops across the New Forest, but each one cost at least £40 per session, too expensive for something regular, and not know it was more than we expected - we’d feared it would just be the four of us! Over time, the club grew, and we’ve had over 30 participants at some sessions. Leadership has evolved, which is a key part of keeping a voluntary group sustainable. Today’s committee is led by Carol O’Neill (Chair), alongside Jacquie Withinshaw, Georgia Beard, Lynda Purdue, Carolyn Bianchi and me, Natalie Haigh. We also have a fantastic Creative Committee made up of experienced members who help research and plan new activities for everyone to enjoy. is year, we’ve introduced occasional sessions with paid tutors, allowing us to access more advanced cra s while keeping our regular session prices a ordable. Each week, we o er an organised cra activity - all materials and guidance included. Not every cra suits everyone, so there’s always the option to sit at the ‘Social Table’ with your own project: crochet, knitting, drawing - or just join us for a chat, cuppa and a biscuit. We provide refreshments twice during each session - hot drinks, biscuits, and sometimes cake, generously shared by our members. Nearly four years on, what I’m most proud of is that the club still feels truly accessible. It’s a warm, open space, where people of any background and any level of cra experience are genuinely welcomed. e only restriction is that ursday sessions are for adults only. On VE Day this year, we celebrated with a tea party. Participants wore red, white and blue, decorated cupcakes, shared a bu et, recited poetry, played games and swapped stories. As I sat enjoying a lively game of “steal a present”, I looked around at the laughter, the new and familiar faces, the kindness in the room - and I realised that here, I can just be myself. For a sensitive soul, that’s a rare and priceless gi . To all committee members, past, present and future - thank you from the bottom of my heart. You’ve created something special, and you’ve made a real di erence in the lives of many, including mine. To our volunteers, tutors, cra leaders, those who help in the kitchen, put away chairs, welcome new faces, share a smile, and gently tease me when I go back for my seventh biscuit - thank you. You make this club the joyful place it is. So, if you ever feel lonely, out of place, or simply want to try something new while having a laugh, come and join us on a Thursday. You’ll be welcomed with a smile, open arms, a hot drink, and a biscuit. You might even fall in love with a new cra - though we take no responsibility for the increase in cra supplies spending! Waterside Craft Club meets every Thursday at the Hythe Sea Scouts Hut, Shore Road, from 12.30pm–3pm, each session costs £5 including all materials and activities, or £2 if you bring your own project and join the Social Table. Two hot drinks and biscuits are included in every session. Follow us on Facebook for updates: www.facebook. com/watersidecra club or visit our website: www. watersidecra club.co.uk But as my confidence and experience in the voluntary sector grew, I began to wonder: what if I started something of my own? A new group, open, affordable, and welcoming where people could come together simply for the joy of making things. Of course, no sustainable project is built alone. The original club owes its beginnings to a small group of us: Kate Smith (linoprint artist), Natasha Harris (paper, ink and resin cra er), Julie Elliott (pottery expert), and me (sewer). Together we formed a committee, applied to the National Lottery, researched venues, created budgets, lled out all the legal paperwork, planned activities, and promoted the group. Our rst session launched at Hythe Sea Scouts Hut in October 2021. I don’t remember exactly how many people came, but I do eventually stepping away from my business. I had to medically retire, return to the UK, and adjust from a busy life running a team of 16, constantly travelling, to having a lot of time, low con dence, and no full-time work. I was short on cash but desperate for social connection. I tried various local groups; women’s networks, drama, volunteering. Everyone I met was friendly, but I never quite felt like I belonged. I’m in my mid-forties now, and I’ve begun to accept myself more, but I have a big personality. I don’t always fade quietly into the background. In some spaces, that made me feel self-conscious, even anxious about whether I was liked or whether my ideas were too much. Waterside Craft Club Artwork the sort of thing where you’d build lasting social connections. Back in 2019, I had become seriously unwell with Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition that attacked my thyroid and led to severe mental health struggles, hospitalisation, and
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