Handcrafted goods will be on sale this weekend as CanBead runs its inaugural artisan market.
It’s the major fundraiser for CanBead in the Mid and South Canterbury district.
CanInspire Mid and South Canterbury regional co-ordinator, and CanBead tutor, Daphne Hinton said around 40 stall holders from Timaru to Pegasus will be on site at the Tinwald Memorial Hall on Saturday, selling everything from jewellery, art, children’s clothing, candles, soaps, crafts, teddy bears to food and beverage stalls.
The free entry event runs from 10am to 3pm.
Everybody at this weekend’s market is selling wares which are handcrafted, she said. If it’s successful it could be an annual event.
She said funding was needed to run CanBead workshops for people experiencing illness, trauma, loss.
The two hour workshops are free of charge and offer a nice distraction with fun and support. Participants also get to take home a CanBead kit bag.
‘‘CanBead needs to raise so much per year to go towards our running costs and workshops, and this year I decided I would try an artisan market.’’
‘‘I run the jewellery making workshops in Mid and South Canterbury and I think I have funding for nine or 10 in each area,’’ she said.
They are run with different organisations and their support groups, which generally have one a year.
Daphne will work this year with Cardiac Kids, and Mid Canterbury’s Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s Disease groups.
She said numbers at a typical workshop ranged from four people to 10 people.
Each person is able to bring a friend to enjoy it with them, and both get a kit to take home, she said.
In the past CanBead have run fundraising drives which have included a colour run, Handbags and Gladrags with Safer Mid Canterbury and a quiz night.
This weekend there will be some unique, handmade items for sale, and raffles.
‘‘Every stall holder is donating a raffle prize, so we will do those up in hampers and (raffle tickets) will be available on the day to buy,’’ Daphne said.
CanBead volunteers, who are invaluable to the running of the charity, help out in various ways but once a week some gather to break up donated jewellery, sew and assemble the kit bags, others assist at workshops. The CanBead Kits are funded from financial donations, grants and thousands of donated beads.
Daphne said there will also be some preloved jewellery – unable to be broken down for use by CanBead – which will be available for sale.
‘‘Volunteers are a big part of our organisation and we couldn’t run without our volunteers,’’ she said.
Anyone interested in volunteering can make contact via the CanBead Facebook page.
