Daahir Mohamed awarded Heritage Crafts bursary

Lime plasterer Daahir Mohamed has been awarded our new bursary targeted at Black and ethnically diverse makers, an under-represented group in traditional crafts. The grant, sponsored by DCA Consulting, will help to support him during his six-month Fellowship with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB).

Daahir is a self-employed plasterer from Bristol. Originally from Somalia, he left for Switzerland at the age of nine. In Switzerland he trained as an apprentice in metal fabrication and tool making. This gave him a good grounding in precision, a passion for quality craftmanship and, once he’d moved to Bristol, served as a stepping stone first to general building work and then to specialise in plastering. Daahir has held roles on the boards of the Bristol Hospitality Network, Bristol Refugee Rights and has volunteered with the Bristol Bike Project and the Red Cross. He has also worked for the Asylum Seekers’ Allotment Project, teaching vegetable gardening and beekeeping skills.

Daahir said:

“I am honoured to be the first recipient of the Heritage Crafts training bursary for Black and ethnically diverse makers. This support will help relieve the financial pressure of taking time away from my business to participate in the SPAB Fellowship. I think targeted bursaries like this one can play a big role in diversifying the conservation industry.”