You May Think “What’s the point of being trained to build with straw?” “It’s hardly like that I will use these skills again!” But training with straw bale building is far more than learning a few specific techniques.
It’s a training in ecological awareness. It’s a training in teamwork. It’s a training in inter-generational and inter-gender co-operation. It’s a training in empowerment – especially for women: the majority of Straw Works trainers are women. It’s a training in discipline. These things will stay with you for life.
It’s a pathway to employment. Even if you don’t go on to future work in green building, you can join our project as part of an accredited pathway to employment, learning “soft skills” of teamwork, punctuality, physical effort, and so on.
Some people will be inspired to go on to build their own straw bale house. Others will decide to seek out an apprenticeship in the building trade. Some might form a friendship with someone quite unexpected – of quite a different background or age – which will give them lasting joy or motivation.
Tulse Hill and Lambeth Borough in general is blessed with a number of schemes to improve employment chances. Here at Holy Trinity, we already have a good track record in promoting community volunteering, through local schools, gardening, and buddy schemes. One of our aims in this project is to form further partnerships so that the actual building of our community building will contribute to the building of our community.