Tool charity to host volunteer open day for new refurbishment centre in Rugby

The charity Tools with a Mission (TWAM) is opening a new refurbishment centre in Rugby which will double the number of donated refurbished tools that they send to Africa. They are hosting a Volunteer Open Day to find new volunteers for the centre.

The Open Day will take place on Saturday 3rd September at the new centre (6 Paynes Lane, Rugby, Warwickshire, CV21 2UH) and will run from 11am to 3pm.

Visitors will be given guided tours of the centre and will be encouraged to speak to members of staff and other volunteers to find out more about the TWAM volunteering experience, with plenty of refreshments available.

Anyone interested in attending the event can sign up on the website at twam.uk/rugby. People can also RSVP by phone on 01473 210220.

TWAM is a largely volunteer-driven organisation, with a variety of roles available. Volunteers assist with unloading tool deliveries from TWAM’s van teams, sorting tools into appropriate categories, refurbishing tools and packing kits (haberdashery, sewing machines, carpentry tools, mechanics tools, etc.), helping out in the office, and loading containers.

The new centre will serve as the refurbishment hub for tools donated in the Midlands and North of England and will enable TWAM to double the number of refurbished tools that they are able to send to Africa. TWAM currently sends around 16 containers filled with around 400,000 individual donated tools every year, but the new centre will double that to at least 800,000 tools.

Mike Griffin, CEO of Tools with a Mission, said:

“We're very excited to be opening our new Refurbishment Centre in Rugby. The centre will transform hundreds of lives across Africa as volunteers join us and help us establish this amazing work. It's hard to grasp just how strong the impact of this centre will be and how many opportunities there are to be part of this, which is why our volunteer open day is so important. I'm looking forward to meeting many members of our new community at the open day.”

About Tools with a Mission

TWAM has been sending refurbished donated tools to Africa and keeping them out of UK landfills since 1984. The tools are packed into trade kits and sent to local organisations that teach vulnerable members of society valuable skills such as carpentry, tailoring, and mechanics. These skills give them the power to generate their own income and start their own careers, ending the cycle of poverty and maintaining their independence.

For more information about the event or to arrange an interview, please contact James Noble, Fundraising and Communications, on 07738494005 or email jamesn@twam.uk.

For more information about the charity and what we do, visit our website www.twam.uk, or our Facebook and Instagram (@toolswithamission).