Harrogate charity launches £60,000 Christmas appeal to keep Arts and Crafts Centre warm and welcoming for community
This festive season, Henshaws has launched a vital fundraising appeal to raise £60,000 to support its Arts and Craft Centre, which provides vital day support for adults with sight loss and other disabilities.
As temperatures drop this winter, Henshaws is appealing for the help of local businesses, organisations, and individuals across Harrogate and Knaresborough to keep the Arts and Crafts Centre warm and welcoming by supporting its 12 Days of Giving campaign.
The campaign will help cover the heating, electricity, and essential workshop materials needed at the Arts Crafts Centre in Knaresborough to keep its studios alive with warmth and festive cheer.
Every donation will help ensure those who attend the centre, known as Art Makers, have a Christmas filled with creativity and connection.
Flora Simpson, Fundraising Development Manager at Henshaws, said: “Every day, our workshops buzz with creativity, laughter, and learning, but as the winter draws in, we need your support to ensure our spaces stay warm, welcoming, and full of light for our Art Makers.
“Thanks to previous generous funding, our horticulture workshop was transformed with raised beds and other adaptations, making the outdoor space fully accessible for everyone.
"Now, we want to make sure all our workshops, from pottery and mosaics to textiles and performing arts, are cosy, safe, and bright throughout the colder months, so our Art Makers can continue creating, learning, and thriving.”
Henshaws’ Arts and Crafts Centre runs a range of creative workshops that help people living with a range of disabilities to discover their talents, put them into practice, and realise their full potential in a supportive environment.
Art Makers have an eclectic range of workshops to choose from at the centre, including Woodwork, Pottery, Horticulture, Performing Arts, Music, Mosaics, Paper, Printing, Jewellery and Multi-Sensory.
Materials that need to be bought by the centre for workshops include mosaic tiles, paintbrushes, easels and clay, wood, tissue paper, crayons, pom poms and paint.
Henshaws also needs to ensure the centre is kept warm and light for Art Makers to maintain a safe and healthy environment.
Due to some of the health conditions of the Art Makers it is vital that the centre remains at a warm and constant temperature.
There is also specialist equipment to keep running such as hoists and bright lights for those with visual impairments.
Henshaws Arts and Crafts Centre is open to the public from Monday to Friday, with a fully licensed cafe and shop, accessible facilities and woodland walk.
The centre is also available to hire for events and functions and is the location for a wide variety of community events including the annual Beer Fest and BedFest.
To support Henshaws Christmas appeal, visit https://henshaws.enthuse.com/cf/henshaws12daysofgiving2026