Opportunities

Over 20 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Katy Warriner @warriner.leather, from Devon, is a mid-career leatherworker who has spent a decade working as a leather prop maker for the film and television industry. Her bursary will fund intensive one-to-one training with specialist makers John Macdonald and Francis Roche @windsor_and_henley_bridles, allowing her to pivot to the endangered disciplines of traditional collar making, wooden tree construction and fine harness work.

Katy’s bursary is supported by the @saddlerscompany.saddlershall.

Katy said: “Heritage crafts are not just about keeping traditions alive; they are about mastering skills that keep our hands working, our minds alive and our communities connected. None of us work alone. Harness makers rely on the tanners, the blacksmiths, the loriners, the coppicers, the carriage drivers, the tool makers – we are all interwoven, intertwined and interdependent within a living chain of knowledge, materials, wisdom and tradition. This support allows me to become part of that living chain of craft and contribute to the future of British leatherwork and harness making.”

Mark Romain MBE, from the Saddlery Training Centre, said: “Katy Warriner has attended courses regularly at my centre since around 2020 achieving several City&Guilds qualifications in bridle, saddle and harness making. Since completing her training with me, Katy has developed a passion for harness making. She is extremely driven and has achieved a high level of skill and knowledge and is in a good position to work and learn from two of the best harness makers in the UK. I know that Katy will make the very best of this unique opportunity.”

📷 @paulreadphoto

Over 20 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Olive Shaw @oliveshoemaker3, from Northampton, works as a trainee bespoke shoemaker and assistant at @gazianogirling and previously served as a course leader for footwear manufacturing apprenticeships. Her bursary will fund eight intensive sessions of one-to-one training in traditional wooden last making with @bespokeshoes_the_elek, alongside essential materials, tools and travel.

Olive’s bursary is supported by the @worshipfulcordwainers.

Olive said: “Receiving this funding from Heritage Crafts and the Cordwainers’ Company is an important step for me as I work towards becoming a bespoke shoemaker. As the first female shoemaker at Gaziano & Girling, I’m committed to developing my skills and helping to broaden representation within the craft. Training with a master shoemaker in bespoke last making will help me develop a fundamental skill at the heart of true bespoke shoemaking.”

Andrew Peal, @masterofthecordwainers, said: “The Worshipful Company of Cordwainers is delighted that Olive and Ella are to receive the 2026 shoemaking bursaries. It is incredibly important to the Company that we promote and support the craft of shoemaking so that it continues not only as a heritage craft but also as an important business sector in the UK. We are pleased that we can assist Olive and Ella in the development of their skills which will benefit their shoemaking careers and the UK’s footwear industry.”

Over 20 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

@katefossey, from Belfast, is a signwriter and full-time student on the All-Ireland Heritage Skills Programme with a background in politics, community work and art facilitation. Her bursary will fund intensive one-to-one training with @moore_letters in Belfast, focusing on water and surface gilding and hand-lettering styles.

Kate’s bursary is supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the All Ireland Heritage Skills Programme.

Kate said: “Securing this support from Heritage Crafts means a lot to me. Being given the opportunity to undergo specialised heritage craft training, and take time and space just to learn is wonderful.”

Over 20 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Andy Thorpe, from Glasgow, holds a Diploma in Bespoke Tailoring from The Tailoring Academy, and is currently working as a factory worker, producing made-to-measure Highlandwear garments. His bursary will fund a year of structured, one-to-one workshop training with established bespoke tailor @alis_le_may in Glasgow, focusing on core hand skills and complex bespoke fittings.

Andy’s bursary is supported by @costume_society.

Andy said: “I am extremely grateful to Heritage Crafts and the Costume Society, as this bursary gives me the opportunity to properly progress in my craft, moving beyond study and into hands-on learning. It opens up access to proper training, specialist facilities and the knowledge of an exceptionally skilled tailor, giving me a chance to develop my practice in a way I simply could not have managed alone.”

📷 Alis Le May

Over 20 posts we are profiling the recipients of our recent round of training bursaries.

Clinton Geldard @clinton_geldard, from Berkshire, is a veteran with over 20 years of experience in vehicle engineering and a long history of self-taught trim work, welding and fabrication. His bursary will fund specialist training at the @autointerioracademy and @artizantraining, focusing on advanced sewing techniques, machine maintenance and leatherwork skills for car interiors and wider leatherworking practices.

Clinton’s bursary is supported by @theleathersellers.

Clinton said: “The funding will give me the skillset to start my business and give me a career with longevity and purpose.”