Inside Forge and Equip: Two Years of Welding, Learning and Community
Forge and Equip is a welding and fabrication social enterprise based in East Lothian, creating opportunities for people to develop practical skills, confidence and routes into employment or a new hobby through hands-on learning, community workshops and fabrication projects.
Two years ago, Forge and Equip started with a simple idea: create a practical, welcoming workshop space where people could learn hands-on skills, build confidence and feel part of something meaningful.
Since then, we’ve grown into far more than just a workshop.
Over the last two years, we’ve had the privilege of supporting people from all walks of life across Edinburgh and the Lothians from young people looking for a route into employment, to adults trying welding for the very first time, to volunteers generously giving their time, skills and encouragement.
Like any small social enterprise, the journey hasn’t always been easy. Building something sustainable takes time, energy and patience. There have been pressures and challenges along the way but every participant, every finished project, every conversation in the workshop and every small success reminds us why this work matters. We’re committed to supporting meaningful opportunities for those who need and value them.
One of the biggest highlights this past year has been supporting two young men as they moved on to achieve their NCs in Welding and Fabrication. Watching people grow in confidence, develop practical skills and take real steps towards employment has been one of the most rewarding parts of the journey so far.
Alongside our training and community work, Forge and Equip has also continued developing its commercial fabrication projects. While the practical work itself is important, it has always represented something bigger than producing metalwork.
Commercial projects help create sustainability for the organisation, while also giving participants exposure to real workshop environments, real expectations and real-life fabrication experience. They allow people to develop practical skills in meaningful ways, build confidence through hands-on work, and understand what working within the industry can actually look like.
We take pride in producing high-quality fabrication work, but at its core, Forge and Equip has never just been about metal; it’s about creating opportunities, building confidence and helping people move forward.
We’ve also welcomed 13 hobby welders into the workshop, launched our first ever junior welding sessions, and continued building a community around practical learning and creativity. For many people, the workshop has become more than somewhere to learn a skill; it’s become somewhere to connect, focus, create and belong.
One of our hobby welders making her own creation
The vision behind Forge and Equip has been shaped by the founders’ Christian faith and a belief in the importance of community, practical support and creating opportunities for people to grow in confidence and purpose. While people from all backgrounds are welcomed into the workshop, these values continue to influence the way we approach our work and relationships.
This year we were fortunate to receive funding and in-kind support from organisations including Neptune Fabrications, Dr Guthrie, Edinburgh Community Grants, Business Gateway, Niddrie Community Church, Arca and a number of generous individuals. This support has helped us continue developing our practical skills projects and improve what we can offer to the community
Thank you to our partners.
There are exciting things planned for the next 12 months. We’re only getting started. If you’d like to find out more about our plans for the future or how you could be involved, please get in touch: info@forgeandequip.co.uk