Soft Spot carpentry crew is a new all-female project delivering bespoke site carpentry.

We design and build custom wood installations for community spaces, with a focus on grassroots placemaking and empowerment.

What do you make?

We focus on creative site carpentry such as outdoor seating and structures, and temporary installations for exhibitions and festivals.

Why a womens' carpentry crew?

Over 95% of skilled tradespeople such as carpenters in the UK are men. Soft Spot carpentry crew aims to tackle the lack of women in the skilled trades in a positive way. While providing community carpentry services we also aim to give training opportunities and work experience for women, helping to improve representation in the sector.

I need something building, how do I work with you?

Please contact us to discuss your project. We can design what you need or work with your designer. We also offer community build workshops.

I am a female carpenter, how do I join the crew?

We are reaching out to the network of female carpenters and building a database of people who may be interested to join upcoming projects in Oxfordshire and surrounds. Please contact us and tell us a bit about yourself so that we can contact you with suitable opportunities.

I would like to support the project, what can I do?

We are currently reaching out to those working in community wealth building, carpentry training and grant funders to help get our project off the ground and allow us to deliver projects. We are also keen to hear from people running community spaces who may be interested to partner with us on grant applications, if you cannot afford to pay for our services out of pocket. Please get in touch if so!

Who is Soft Spot carpentry crew?

Teams are convened per project to allow emerging carpenters to work alongside more skilled tradeswomen. The crew is convened by Nor Greenhalgh, maker and project manager who is experienced in delivering community placemaking and refurbishment projects. Previous projects in community settings have included work with Oxford City Council, Make Space for Girls, NameIt Youth Group, Restore charity, Oxford Rape Crisis, Braziers Park estate and Supernormal Festival:

Co-design and modelmaking with a girls youth group to envision more female-friendly park furniture.

Volunteer-run refurbishment of a historic building including new flooring and custom compost loo.

Coordination of a community redecoration project to create a new bedroom in a formerly damp, derelict space.

Temporary installation at Supernormal Festival.

Installation at NatureEscape garden, Florence Park.