The Exchange Diaries: January 2025

With so many fun things going on at The Exchange, we're excited to share that we'll be posting diary entries regularly on Instagram/Facebook and once a month on our website.

It's always great to know what's been happening and learn a little extra behind-the-scenes information, as it gives you a real feel for the place.

We hope you enjoy reading!

w/c 13th January

Last week was the first back for the Exchange team, and for Larissa, our wonderful Venue Hire Manager, it was a particularly good one; after much plugging away at the promotion of the use of our beautiful old library as a venue and event backdrop, she has set dates for some very special private events and other happenings, including an exciting TV opportunity (all very hush-hush, of course).

For others it was a planning and sorting week – Garden Room stock-taking; Workshop project planning; and some major sorting all around the building - a massive thank you to every volunteer who lent a helpful hand.

We also welcomed Selina, our new Head Gardener, to The Exchange who, on her first day, battled with bulbs and frozen ground. And we welcomed the Erith Town Partnership back for the first meeting of the year, with some enthusiastic town plans in preparation for ERITH MADE 2025.

There is some really good stuff on the horizon – keep in touch, and see you all soon.

w/c 20th January

On the 15th of January, we held a staff team building workshop, led by Sara, our Textiles Workshop Manager. In the session, we learned how to set up a loom (quite fiddly!) and learned the basics of tapestry weaving, which (we think) was enjoyed by all!

Our doors were opened for the 'warm spaces' initiative once more, starting with an afternoon tea with free hot drinks and cake and a new, free weekly workshop “Art of Calm: Slow Stitching” which is run by textile artist Mandy Johnson. Another free weekly workshop to kick off was “Exploring Watercolour Painting” run by Ruth Howard of the What If Gallery in Dartford where participants create their own artworks to take away.

We also hosted our first Thursday night games session, hosted by William Mountain where people can come in to socialise and play a game or two, from Chess to Catan.

It's been a really fun week!

w/c 27th January

The volunteer makers in the Timber Workshop have recently finished a new bespoke workbench that they've been working hard on over the past few months. It combines a very solid, traditionally joined base, with a multi-function top for cutting sheet materials accurately, and enough clamping positions to run classes in the space. It's also on wheels, to keep things flexible in a small space. The volunteer makers did a truly exceptional job, mastering their marking out skills,and combining some very careful hand-cut joinery with some time-saving routing. So please do come and have a look at it, before it gets covered with saw tracks and tea spills!

Our free warm spaces activities have been popular, and it's been lovely to welcome everyone and meet some new faces. On Wednesdays, we have a coffee morning between 11 am - 1 pm, where anyone can come in and enjoy free tea/coffee and cake. We also have a slow stitching session, where you can design and craft a unique fabric cover for a notebook or journal using mindful, meditative stitching techniques. This is a great way to learn a new skill while socialising!

The watercolour painting sessions on Thursdays are also proving popular. In this new weekly workshop led by Ruth Jones, she helps you on a creative path to make a piece of your choice. Sessions run every Thursday from 11 am to 1 pm if you fancy joining.

It's been lovely to see so many people turn up and get involved during our Warm Space hours!

The roadworks on Walnut Tree Road have moved over to our side of the road. Unfortunately, this means the gate on the right of The Exchange is blocked at the moment, but we are still open as usual, and you can enter through the gate on the left, which will be the main point of entry moving forward.

Overall, January has been a pretty great month. The team came back refreshed after a Christmas break and enjoyed a crafty session in the textiles workshop. We introduced some fun, free activities including watercolour painting and slow stitching, as well as coffee mornings during our warm space hours. And we started running a Thursday Night Games session, where anyone can come in and play a board game of their choice with others while making new friends. The timber workshop finished making a new workbench, and we welcome our new Head Gardener: Selina to the team.

Pssst, there'll be some exciting news in February so keep an eye on our socials for the latest updates!

See you next month!