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Carpentry and Joinery students have been getting into the festive spirit to help do their bit for a good cause.

The Level 1 team from Redcar & Cleveland College turned their hand to crafting reindeers and snowmen to sell at the Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice Christmas Lights Switch On.

Lecturer Dave Moulder said: “The hospice got in touch to ask if we could lend a hand by making the wooden reindeers and snowmen and we were happy to help.

“It was a great opportunity for the students to get work-related experience, working to a brief with external customers and their finished work also had to undergo an inspection process.”

Putting their crafting skills to the test, the group of 12 students used leftover log and branch cuttings, provided by a local tree surgeon, to create 25 reindeers and 15 snowmen.

The Christmas decorations proved a sell-out with the team raising an impressive £460 for the charity.

“It was challenging for the students as they had to work out how to create the design using the log cuttings available to them,” said Dave.

It also proved a great exercise in the concepts of renewing, reusing and recycling, as the crafty bunch used pine cones for noses and the branches of an old artificial Christmas tree for antlers.

With orders flying in for a further 12 models, Dave said: “Traditionally our courses are structured around renovated and new build houses. Christmas does offer the chance to be a bit more creative and this bespoke design was a great example of how their skills can be used in other ways.”

The team now plan to create a further 20 to 25 festive models with the additional profits being shared between the hospice and funding a trip as a thank you to the students.

With a hospice in Middlesbrough, Zoe’s Place provides palliative, respite and end-of-life care to babies and young children.
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