We have an exciting update about Apprentice Blacksmith Olly Gooding.  We recently learnt that he has been awarded up to three years of grant funding from the York Consortium for Craft and Conservation to support his training here at Ironart.  The YCCC grant is part of a new funding scheme to support craft trainees and apprentices, especially where their craft is endangered and funded training is not available.

Dr Gill Chitty – Trustee and Bursary Officer for the YCCC said:

“Olly is one of two craft trainee bursaries the Consortium has awarded this year and he is the first trainee blacksmith we have funded. The bursary is for three years to support his continuing apprenticeship with IronArt who are providing his training and a terrific learning experience. We are delighted to be collaborating with them.”

Olly is learning fast on the job here in the workshop. Every week he is set a new practice task by Workshop Manager Jason Balchin to stretch his skills on the forge. These are mandatory exercises every blacksmith needs to work through in their training and his challenge was to forge different shaped points from a section of square bar within a set maximum time. Jason’s feedback was succinct and positive, “Olly did brilliantly. He made them all within the required time and to a high standard.”

We are really delighted that Olly is a member of our team here at Ironart and look forward to following his journey training as a blacksmith over the coming years.