Making a Difference

COMMUNITY PROJECTS

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We started ‘Glass By Design Community Projects’ in order to facilitate more work within the community & future art projects. We have tried to make sure that we made a difference just by being here. We have based all we do as a business with the community at its heart. This helps us share the love of what we do. Every time we mended a piece of glass for a customer or sold small window hangers the payment went into this fund for future use for worthwhile causes. Below is just a small glimpse of what we have achieved so far.

Current Work

CURRENT WORK

National Lottery Community Fund

We are currently delivering a 2 year project with the National Lottery which will run until 2026. We are currently also looking to further develop an art kit with instructions for use in hospital.

Our Community Journey

HISTORY OF COMMUNITY PROJECTS

2013–19

Organised Penarth Open Studio Trail

2017

Welsh National Opera window to promote Der Rosenkavalier

Ty Hafan Charity window & event with ‘snow dog’ painting

2018

Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama (Set Design window)

Defibrillator installed Station Approach

£1000 raised alongside donations from other businesses in Station Approach. It saved a life in 2020, so it made our efforts to place one here worthwhile. Since Penarth Railway Station installed a Defib we were able to donate it to the Cliff-top playground area.

Volvo Ocean Race workshops

‘32’ WW1 Project

‘Our second major project was ‘32’. These were the 32 names on the commemoration board in our local parish who had died in WW1. The project saw current residents from the addresses the men (boys mostly) had left to fight in the war coming in to make a wire poppy. We brought in local Sea Cadets, air cadets, & brownies to make their own versions of glass poppies. All proceeds went to the Royal British Legion, & all who participated learnt about the very young lives lost locally, & took their poppy home when the window display was over.’

RNLI Charity window Elves yellow welly workshop

WNO window to support Rhondda Rips It Up! 100 years of Women’s Suffrage.

2019

Penarth Operatic & Drama (PODS) promotional window Sweeny Todd

The Welsh Charity Awards Runners up glass stars using the ‘Community Projects’ to fund the work.

2020

Marie Curie Hospice 60th anniversary plaque recently unveiled by HRH Prince Charles.

‘It was an honour to witness this, just before Covid & we didn’t get to see it installed in the foyer until 2023!’

Window celebrating 125years Penarth Pier alongside Penarth View (windows were very important during the lock downs to the community when all shut)

Window promoting Horatios Garden Charity & the upcoming opening of the accessible garden at the Spinal Unit, Llandough Hospital

2021

Developed portable kit for use in hospital, fully funded by GBD Community Projects. (See below)

Bumblebee Conservation Trust window to support “Bee The Change”

2022

Turner House Gallery artwork displayed from above ‘in hospital’ project

Gwyl Cymru Festival window supporting Wales at the FIFA World Cup

National Lottery funding 1 year community project

2023–4

Delivery of glass classes as a healing tool National Lottery Community Fund

Horatio’s Garden, Marie Curie Hospice, Maggies Cardiff, 2Wish, Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice, Woodys Lodge, ex-service personnel.

A Turning Point

LIGHTBULB MOMENT

In 2021 they were approached by a mum to develop a glass making project for her 8 year old son in hospital isolation.

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He didn’t like the boring options only available & had been to us the previous Christmas & had loved what he could do with the decorative process of fused glass. We were able come up with a feasible project & were able to fund this again. This was a lightbulb moment for us. We realised there was a need to bridge the gap from our studio space directly into the community. By talking with our students of all ages we knew how beneficial our workshops were for their mental well being, & this had become more apparent as a stress reliever & sharing time together following Covid. Being lost in the moment of creating we already knew was important for ourselves, & sharing this joy to all, not just those who could afford a private course was our aim.

Hospital Isolation Project

The art work this young boy produced was brilliant, made up of small squares that when put back together formed an overall glass picture. This was so they could work on 1 square at a time when feeling well enough. It was a positive experience for both mum & son during a long isolation. The finished project was displayed in an exhibition in Turner House Gallery in 2022. We knew we had to do more to reach others in need, hence our application to the National Lottery.

Working Together

Community Partners