MORE young people are needed to help preserve the art of woodturning.

The chairman of the Heart of England Woodturners has urged more young people to join its ranks.

Giles Dugmore said, “The skill is dying out because people don’t see it in college and get involved with it at a young age, so they don’t see it as a worthwhile hobby. It is a very active activity, very physical, with the lathe turning very quickly and the need to use a very sharp chisel. Young kids love it when they see it, so it would be nice to get younger kids involved.

“The obvious thing to do is a wooden bowl, but we’ve done pepper mills, baseball bats, rolling pins. You name it, you can do it. There’s also a sculptural element to it, so what you’re doing doesn’t have to have a function, it can just be an interesting form or have an artistic form.

The club meets every second Friday of the month at Foundation House, Masons Road, Stratford, and members are happy to teach younger generations about woodturning.

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