Local Community

Make it British

Since 1997, the integrity of the manufacturing process has underpinned all Soane’s work. Every single piece is made in Britain, using a network of workshops that excel in traditional crafts. Soane is a member of the Make It British community, which aims to save skills, support communities and champion local British craftsmanship.

Crafts Council

Soane is a patron of the Crafts Council, the UK’s national charity for craft. Founded in 1972, the Crafts Council inspire making, empower learning and nurture craft businesses, and played a pivotal role in Soane’s history. A key resource when researching British crafts skills, the Crafts Council library prompted Lulu’s road trip around Britain to meet craftspeople with whom Soane could collaborate with. A quarter of a century on, this network now includes 39 independent workshops, from a glassblower in Scotland to a coppersmith in Cornwall, with this cross disciplinary collaboration at the heart of Soane.

Leicester

We support our community in Leicester by offering apprenticeships in traditional rattan weaving.  To enrich life outside of work, we helped fund the restoration of the Church of St Michael & All Angel in Thurmaston, where our rattan weavers are based.

The Baldwin Trust

Soane supports The Baldwin Trust, which was founded in 1983 as a result of a small bequest from two nurses who worked on the Baldwin Ward of a Leicestershire hospital. Run by a team of volunteers, the Trust offers narrowboat trips along the tranquil waterways of Leicestershire, providing accessible facilities for the recreation of patients of the Baldwin Ward, for those who may be isolated, excluded or disadvantaged, as well as for the wider community.