Strong products, Stronger community

Spark Fabrication and Framing Services

»Blog

Spring Forward !!

Hi All, Just an update on the goings on at SPARK. Its been…

Tue 3 May

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to everyone and I hope you all enjoyed the christmas break,…

Wed 5 January

»What customers say

"Always willing to help, they give good practical advice and service on welding and framing issues"

Regents Park College

"The workshop has always delivered us an excellent and sufficient service. They have continuously supplied us with quality frames which have been consistently outstanding"

Joe Low - Professional Photographer

"Good quality, right price, on time. They can do the non standard fabrications we often find ourself needing"

Paul Dearing, Two Saints-Technical Services Manager

"Their quality of work is always a very high standard"

Wellington Signs

"Delighted with the mounting and framing of my batique. It looks terrific, cost less than I was quoted in town; and I feel proud to have supported the enterprise"

Mr Dampier

"The quality, craftsmanship and attention to detail are immediately evident"

J Callaway - Cranbury Ave Daycentre Manager

"We were delighted with the bench that was designed and made by Charlie and his team"

Sian Orchard - First Wessex Housing Association

"I just wanted to say thanks to SPARK for the lovely framing job, ill be coming back"

Mr Dawson

Our Social Mission

History

Spark began as Patrick House Workshops in 1993. This therapeutic model project was ‘built’ over time by Charlie Wright to service the learning needs of disadvantaged and homeless people from the surrounding local community. Over the years the needs of its service users have changed and funding has continued to be an ongoing battle for the organisation.

In late 2008 the organisation began to look at new and empowering ways to fund the facility and provide increased access to opportunities for its users. The plan was to develop the growing profit based social enterprise you see today. All profits from the enterprise are used to grow the business and opportunities for confidence and skills development for people who have experienced homelessness. This process was boosted by the venture being selected as one of 15 winners from 144 applications to the SPARK programme. SPARK F&F was successful in securing £60k (to augment our own fundraising efforts) investment from the programme and gaining many useful contacts and skills and since then has gone from strength to strength. Our enterprise delivers competitively priced, good quality products to the domestic and commercial markets. What’s more is all products come with a heap of free feel good factor!!

Goals

Our goals are to maintain and grow a sustainable, commercially competitive business offering value for money ethical buying options for our customers. We aim to channel the profit from this business to enable positive outcomes for homeless people. For example over three years we aim to increase:

Service users participating in meaningful activities and develop self confidence and esteem from 65 to 93
Service users gaining accredited qualifications (Level 1 up) from 2 to 12
Service users undertaking formal work experience from 0 to 8
Service Users accessing employment from 1 to 8

Our Beneficiaries say:

"Thanks for choosing SPARK products, you helped me gain the skills I needed to get a job"

"Without the workshop and support from all the people there I don’t know what I would be doing now. I just know I would not be in the position I am in now"

"The friendly good humoured help and instruction and social interaction with fellow users have given me a large helping hand with my career aspirations"

"I have gained confidence and skills in metalworking in the use of welding equipment, all totally unknown to me prior to attendance"