Bell House Pottery - The First Year - A Volunteer’s View

It’s August. The first year of the pottery’s life is completed, and it is closed and quiet for a month whilst tutors have a well-earned rest.  

I say ‘quiet’ but I doubt it has been quiet at all. There is always something going on at the pottery - work never seems to stop. I’m sure tutors are, in fact, getting ready for September, and I see that a lovely new forecourt has been installed since classes stopped for the summer.

I started as a volunteer before the building of the studio was even completed so I have seen it transformed from a roofless structure to the beautiful, airy space it has become. There are further developments to look forward to all the time, such as new garden planting nearby and outdoor seating to enjoy in the future months.

My role, which I fell into almost by accident, has turned out to be interesting and rewarding. Becoming part of the Bell House Pottery Committee has meant working with a talented and committed group which believes in the importance and value of individual creativity, and in providing opportunities for people to be involved in a practical and personal way. Through the bursary places and the ‘Let’s clay together’ programme there are free or low-cost courses available to people in the community who could not otherwise afford it. I have found the effort and commitment of those who envisaged the project and are now leading it, very impressive.

The tasks I have helped with might sound mundane in some ways: taking minutes at the monthly planning meetings; putting forward a volunteer’s point of view; being an extra adult helper at some classes; helping in practical ways or at open events. However the volunteer role has given me the opportunity to think about things new to me, and to meet an entirely new set of people. I’ve even enjoyed mopping the floors after a few particularly messy courses, thanks to the friendly conversations with tutors and participants while clearing up is going on.  As a former teacher, I’ve particularly liked seeing young people having great fun while trying a new skill which is not available in every school. 

Highlights of the year for me have been the opening of the pottery studio itself, the enthusiasm of people for the place and the courses, the hundreds of visitors during Dulwich Open House, and the Christmas events and party. 

I’ve also sampled some of the courses myself. First a two hour taster session, which many people reading this will have tried. I went along with two friends. There was much laughter at the time and even more when we collected our pots - they were tiny - but at least they looked as if they were intended to be pots!

Then I tried two evening sessions involving using slip and decoration techniques. I managed to make some small but passable pots. I began to think that some of my mother’s genes had been passed down to me. Pottery was her hobby and consequently I never thought to try it out. Encouraged by my first ‘magnificent’ pieces, I booked taster sessions for my family as a Christmas present. However they wanted me to come too. We all know the expression “Pride comes before a fall”.  My nephew seemed naturally talented and threw several successful pieces first time. I could not produce a single pot that day! They would all have gone into Brymer Jones’ reject bucket, so I saved him the trouble and threw them in myself. But it was a great Christmas present for us all to enjoy together.

After such dismal failure will I go back again?

Even as a beginner, there is something absorbing, fascinating and even therapeutic in the process of handling clay. Sometimes the pots seem to want to build themselves, it feels natural, but that day the clay seemed to resist my efforts to create anything at all recognisable, except a mess.

I have to go back to face the challenge.

I want two vaguely similar soup bowls by the end of this year.

Jacqui Pick, Aug 2024

Bell House is sponsoring a football coach at Peckham Town FC

Gustavo Oliveira, our sponsored coach at Peckham Town FC.

Through a generous donation, Bell House is able to sponsor a football coach at Peckham Town Football Club, an entirely volunteer-run football club just around the corner from Bell House.

Peckham was founded in 1982 by Bryan Hall, and now has 28 teams from junior to senior. The men’s first team coach is ex-England and Arsenal footballer Mary Phillip, who is the highest ranked female coach of a men’s team in the country!

There are a lot of exciting things going on at the club. They have a partnership with the Rio Ferdinand Foundation to create opportunities for young people in Peckham to enhance their skills in loads of different areas, from coaching to managing social media channels, club finances and events.

Peckham Town does a huge amount of work in the community and run great campaigns around Black Lives Matter and Black History Month; check them out @peckhamtownfc on Twitter and Instagram.

 Over lockdown, Peckham Town was unfortunately the victim of vandalism of the pitch and clubhouse facilities, with people breaking in at night starting fires, leaving huge amounts of rubbish and mess. Peckham Town put out a call to help on social media, and volunteers arrived in swarms to get the pitch back to match-ready condition and make the facilities safe for all the teams to train on.

This sense of community runs all the way through Peckham Town, just like Bell House and the club is committed to developing opportunities for everyone to play, watch and enjoy the many aspects of football.

 Bell House is sponsoring Gustavo Oliveira (@coachgusoliveira on Instagram), assistant coach for the Peckham men's first team. This is a great collaboration for Bell House given our whole ethos is championing creative education and lifelong learning for all – that is certainly what Gustavo is doing up on Dulwich Common. Gustavo will be combining his role at Peckham with his full-time job at Arsenal Academy so he is going to be busy.

Bell House is proud to sponsor Gustavo and is looking forward to supporting Peckham Town FC this season!

https://linktr.ee/peckhamtownfc