Registered as a charity, Charity number 1079505
Patron; Dan Cruickshank, Art Historian and BBC TV Presenter
Patron; Dan Cruickshank, Art Historian and BBC TV Presenter
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What is the William Morris Craft Fellowship Trust? The William Morris Craft Fellowship is an advanced training scheme run by The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). It is awarded each year to three or four highly skilled craftsmen or women.
The training scheme is spread over a year and in that time the successful candidates will be able to widen their experience in a range of traditional building skills, repair techniques, materials and also prepare them for a position of responsibility.
The SPAB works hard at obtaining funding for the Fellowship and finding new sponsors has become increasingly difficult.
Eleven fellows who have all completed the training scheme felt that is was time to help support the course and so The William Morris Fellowship Trust was formed and in 1998 and it gained charity status. The object of the William Morris craft Fellowship Trust is to advance education in the theory and practice of traditional building skills and to keep the fellowship running.
 A fellow practising skills gained on the WMCFT course |
The Trusts aim is to raise a large capital sum with the initial target of £250,000 and through interest accrued this would allow the charity to fund up to two places on the Fellowship.
To date we have successfully reached our first target and it is now our intentions to set a new target of £500,000. This would not only allow us to fund two places on the Fellowship but also enable us to create bursaries for the self employed or candidates that have to take unpaid leave in order to attend the course. We have currently been able to give one bursary in 2008 and another in 2009. |
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The William Morris Craft Fellowship is a course run by The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). The course of practical training is divided into three blocks of two months, enabling the fellow to return to their place of work at the end of each block.
During the first two blocks the craftsmen travel all around the country on an arranged programme studying materials, building methods and a history of buildings through the ages. They meet many people from all trades who are involved with the repair old buildings. While on site sometimes they are able to assist with the repairs and ask numerous questions about techniques, short cuts, tools etc. |
 Fellows learning about brick making skills with Peter Minter at Bulmer Brick and Tiles in Suffolk |
On the third block the fellows own trade is taken in to consideration and they are able to decide which visit was most beneficial in gaining knowledge and techniques. Arrangements are then made for the fellow to revisit the host and spend up to a week working by their side individually or in a team of experts, learning different ways to repair or conserve buildings.
The course has been running since 1986 and during this time it has advanced the knowledge of an ever increasing pool of craftsmen and women whose skills are as diverse as Thatching, Blacksmith, Flint-knapping and sign writing.
 The reinstatement of the raredos at St George’s in Bloomsbury |
Donations large and small are now being sought in order to fulfil these aims and help to ensure the survival of the unique and highly beneficial course that is the William Morris Craft Fellowship.
Please download our leaflet which has a donation form on. Thank you for your interest. |
