Two cheques worth a total of £10,000 were presented during a visit by Walsall’s Mayor Councillor Rose Martin to the town’s Leather Skills Centre.
The centre is run by Performance Through People (PTP) working alongside the Worshipful Company of Saddlers and the cheques were presented by John Murray of Walsall Business Services, which supports local businesses and individuals that benefit the town.
The first of two £5,000 grants has been used to buy specialist learner tools to be used at the centre for upskilling workers for a career in a wide range of leather manufacturing businesses. The second £5,000 will go to The Equine Fitters Council to administer and operate a new directory of Equine Fitters.
Rob Colbourne, chief executive of PTP (which is part of the BCTG Group), said the directory is being formalised to improve standards.
“A good saddle fit is central to the welfare of ridden horses, and saddle fitters come to Walsall for well-designed and expertly made saddles to meet the needs of the horse and rider. This donation is greatly appreciated as it contributes to a stronger future for those learning to make saddlery and those who will fit it.
“We will be able reach more people to tell them about the Equine Fitters Directory and voluntary regulation, and to furnish trainee leather workers with the high-quality tools they need.”
The mayor met a variety of learners during her visit including PTP apprentice Hannah Scoffham, who has been named Walsall’s first Young Leather Craftsperson of the Year. She also met representatives from Walsall Council, Walsall Business Services, The Worshipful Company of Saddlers and the Ladder Foundation.
Lucy Atherton, prime warden of The Worshipful Company of Saddlers, received the cheques and said: “This generous support from Walsall Business Services will contribute to ensuring our industry has the skilled saddlery professionals it needs – both to make and fit saddlery – well into the future.
“The Walsall Leather Skills Centre is doing exactly what we hoped – offering training to create jobs in this town, while supporting the high-quality leather businesses upon which Walsall’s reputation has been based for centuries.”
The Leather Skills Centre is run by PTP with funding from the Saddlers Company Charitable Fund, a charity of the Worshipful Company of Saddlers who are a City of London livery company tracing its roots back to the 11th Century.
The centre is overseen by Catherine Morris, the trade Equestrian and Charities advisor at the Saddlers Company, and two PTP tutors, and offers a wide range of courses including the Level 2 Leather Craftsperson and the Level 3 Bespoke Saddler apprenticeships.
