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2024: Another Rotation Around the Sun for EOW

Another year, another round up, and another happy Holiday Season!

Well, that’s 2024 all wrapped up folks – it’s coming to that rare time of year where all is quiet on the workshop floor, as machines, makers   and Pepper get some well earned rest. It has been another year of growth, expansion, and no shortage of adventures at Edinburgh Open Workshop.

As we all near the time of festive celebrations, we thought along with our final EOW update for the year, we would also give the heads up of our own Holiday Hours (for all those who enter into 2025 super keen to start getting projects underway)!

EOW HOLIDAY CLOSURE DATES
 21 December – 5 January
Tours, Bookings, Courses, and our bright faces all return starting the 6 January!

Enjoy a cup of something warm, a breather, and peruse a highlight reel of the things that made us especially proud this year. 

Another season, another reason, for celebrating!

It has been another busy year here at EOW and we have lots to celebrate – we’ve happily counted all they wonderful things below (and much like Julie Andrews, we can say that at least some of them are our favourites!)

  1. We were delighted to welcome some new faces to the resident member crowd as we were joined by Green Leith Joinery, Woodeye Furniture, Full Set Productions, Cross Cut Design, Elizabeth Campbell Jewellery, Norah and Ashley.
  2. EOW got a makeover – with our revamped office space and a  snazzy new look for the website and company branding.
  3. We took over the building next door, creating an Event & Exhibition space and extra Storage facilities, and we are looking forward to launching a dedicated welding workshop in the New Year.
  4. Our community programme went from strength to strength, with our Family Day in April and Doors Open Day in September both attracting new and enthusiastic visitors.
  5. And, we are still buzzing from our Festive Makers Market and Leith Creative Trail in November, both of which were busier and more successful than ever!

Thank you to our members and the Leith community for making all of this possible – we couldn’t do it without you and we are blown away by your creativity, energy and love.

Because you spent this year signing up, learning, coming in and making we’ve been able to do some do some pretty great things before holidays, like:
  • We raised over £1,000 for Earth in Common  with our Fundraising Makers Market
  • Launched our Family Day Workshops series which saw over 40 families making planter boxes, birdhouses, and balance boards
  • We gave out 30 scholarships and bursaries to support folk getting into a new skill
  • Expanded the Leith Creative Trail into a week long event with 19 participating venues
  • We raised £1,500 to restart our Buy Time for a Maker fund in Spring 2025
  • Launched a Design Exhibition series featuring local artist, makers, and designers
  • And, clearly the most impressive, we had a reel go basically viral – were influencers now
2025 won’t be slowing down – you can look forward to future endeavours like:
  • Welding Area Expansion – welding projects can now be (nearly) limitless in size!
  • 4 Family Days a year, so all ages can come get there hands covered in saw dust as they MAKE things for themselves
  • More Design Exhibitions, featuring not only our in house makers, but inviting local makers to join as well, or launch their own exhibitions in our new event space
  • Have A Go guided projects so that you can get a feel for the workshop and machinery pre-membership as you try your hand and woodworking, laser cutting, and maybe a sneaky CNC round
  • And further building on the Leith Creative Trail making a new Leith community mainstay

And so much more that we can’t even talk about yet!

With each year we look back we can’t believe how far we’ve come, and we are SO EXCITED for what is coming next!

Massive thanks to our funders and supporters who continue to make our dreams become realities: Scottish Edge, Foundation Scotland, National Lottery Scotland: Awards for All, the and most importantly our FANTASTIC member community who’ve made all of this possible!

THANKS so much again for being part of this adventure – we can’t wait to get to work with you in 2025, and see what we can all make next together.

Happy Holidays,

Team EOW

*Bonus points if you can find the tiny Josh in the team photo*