Sustainability & social values

Sustainability: Creating pottery is heavy on process, both in the making and firing but in materials sourcing too. Work in progress requires considered planning & attention to minimise environmental impact whilst maximising the positive affect of my business on my community. 

Sourcing: I use two suppliers for different materials and reasons:
1. Clay Cellar, a Kent supplier where I share collection with other local potters from that site but also combine with journeys made to that locale for additional business needs, candle pouring & receiving mentoring.

2. Potclays, Stoke On Trent. I am aware too of the miles made by the materials making up clay bodies and the longer term efficiency of using local materials alongside very long held and established skills at this 4th generation family owned and managed business.

Making: I work in a tiny studio [4m x 3m] heated only by residual heat from the kiln. My tools are often hand made and often the same I used in the 1980's when I was at college. I recycle ALOT, as do most potters, for example on tools or materials that are reworked or reclaimed, water which is settled and reused, or even using rolling cloths made from charity shop tea towels. I link effectively with other makers on site so as to swap and share materials, experience & test kilns, avoid waste and combine on purchasing / delivering / kiln engineer miles. My work is scheduled to build up regularly to allow for my kilns to be fired only when they are packed tight, so no element of that heat work is wasted. I mix my own glazes from a tight list of source materials. The work I make is intended for robust daily use, that celebrates where we live with great positivity. 

Selling: I sell at small local prize winning and highly recommended retailers with the same values as me, delivering high quality items & service to customers, supporting small individual makers, and encouraging local enterprise and connections. Deliveries to retailers are made on foot / by train and bus. My presence at local markets purposefully partners with managers who want to deliver family orientated events that aim to entertain and engage locally, as well as providing a curated range of high quality makers in local places themselves well worth promoting. I use a small hybrid vehicle for my markets. 

Teaching: I make my classes as accessible and inclusive as possible, with ground floor flat access & understanding of additional needs. I always encourage the recognition of the mental health benefits that working with clay brings so as to provide additional outcomes and value. I seek opportunities to work with meaningful community organisations including heritage preservation, inclusion of adults with learning and social disadvantages, homeless charities and so on. 

Dispatching orders: I often walk purchases to customers or combine drop offs with other journeys and additionally give the option of collection to avoid the packaging altogether. When I do package I use puffed cereal, paper or recycled packaging.