Abbey England looks to celebrate the best ‘40 under 40’ makers
This year, artisan leatherwork and equestrian supplier, Abbey England will be celebrating its 40th birthday, and what better way to celebrate than by celebrating the country’s 40 best craftspeople.
The fifth Abbey England Scholarship comes with a twist.
The company, which is a leading supplier of premium products and tools to the UK and beyond, is looking for nominations of the public’s favourite craft maker under the age of 40, to be Abbey England’s scholarship winner of 2022–2023.
The top 40 nominations to the scholarship, which has previously received entries from saddlers and leatherworkers across the UK, will be entered into Abbey England’s ‘40 under 40’ list, which will be celebrated across the company’s website and social channels.
The overall winner of the scholarship will receive £1,000 towards Abbey England’s range of workshop tools and supplies.
They will also receive expert advice and online support for their businesses, via Abbey England’s social media channels.
In return, Abbey England encourages the scholarship winner to provide a monthly blog, so readers can share their journey over the course of the year.
These 40 successful makers will also have the opportunity to experience an exclusive masterclass workshop in the autumn of 2022 with the BBC’s Repair Shop star, Suzie Fletcher, Master Saddler.
When she’s not filming for the BBC’s Repair Shop, Suzie specialises in saddle making – especially for the overhaul and retro fitting of saddles, as well as restorations for leathergoods and leather furniture. She said: “Celebrating and encouraging the best of British young makers is so important to me. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead this masterclass and hopefully inspire others to create beautiful things with leather.”
Any person under the age of 40 who is currently undertaking saddlery or leathercrafting can be nominated or self-nominated, with nominations open until Friday, July 29 2022.
The overall 2022 – 2023 scholarship winner will be announced September 2022.
CEO of Abbey England, Richard Brown, told us: “Our ‘40 under 40’ list of wonderful makers will be a fine example of today’s craftsmanship and skill. We look forward to the next 40 years by celebrating young business owners and those who are at the beginning of their leather and saddlery careers, who will carry the skills and love of our craft into the future.”
If you are interested in applying or wish to nominate a candidate for the Abbey England Scholarship and the ’40 under 40′ list, please visit here: https://forms.gle/QoZccNWQVhnEqxWm9
For further information, please visit Abbey England’s website www.abbeyengland.com.