If you have never painted in a YURT before now is the time to try it! I was recently invited to visit and look round Ulverscroft Manor near Markfield in Leicestershire where the Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation is located.

This is a charitable organisation devoted to providing support, care and friendship to the people of Leicestershire. I was taken round the place in a golf buggy and visited their various buildings including the now-famous yurt. OK OK I’ll tell you! A yurt is a tent/marquee-like structure built of pre-fabricated steam-bent wooden poles and covered with a waterproof fabric. The whole thing is topped with large acrylic circular window and the spacious interior is very well lit. A wood-burning stove completes the facilities. It is based on a Central Asia Nomadic Tent and I just fell in love with it and the organisers agreed I could run a one-day workshop in it.

We can take only 20 people/artists/would-be artists so please book early if you would like to join me. So the day of this amazing experience is going to be Friday August 6th from 10am till 4pm. The cost will be £60.00 a head. All profits from the day will go towards the work of the Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation, registered charity number 803525.

Your £60.00 will entitle you to coffee on arrival, excellent 2 course lunch with a glass of wine and tea or coffee with cake on departure. All materials will be provided for those of you without any. And of course, the teaching!

On these workshops I treat everybody as if they are beginners and devote the large part of the morning session to techniques. You will learn how to use the five basic methods of applying watercolour paint and after lunch we will move out into the grounds for you to start a landscape painting. You do not need any experience in watercolour painting to enrol and I love working with absolute beginners. We all learn a lot from each other. What magnificent grounds they are by the way…all 55 acres of them!

Have a look at the websites: www.shuttlewood-clarke.org and www.yewtrial.org.uk

Then let me or Linda Prime, Operations Director at the Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation (linda@shuttlewood-clarke.org), know if you are interested in joining us. We will give you more information about getting there and so on. I promise you an exciting and memorable day.

I look forward to hearing from you

Best wishes

Peter Welton
www.peterwelton.com

The Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation is one of Leicestershire’s hidden gems. This unique registered charity has, through the inspiration, foresight and selfless generosity of its founder, the late David Clarke, provided support care and friendship to over 100,000 socially isolated elderly people, adults with disabilities and disadvantaged youngsters since 1990.

The core services of the Foundation continue to bring much needed relief to many people in need and through the generous support of companies and individuals we have developed new schemes such as the Yew Trail outdoor classroom and craft clubs that provide great benefit to an even broader cross section of our community.

Over the next twelve months the Foundation is celebrating its 20th Anniversary and we will be;

Highlighting the past 20 years of achievement.

And paying tribute to David Clarke
All this will culminate on the 9th/ 10th & 11thSeptember 2010 when in conjunction with Bradgate Flower Club we will be holding ‘September Crafts and Flowers’ at UlverscroftManor along with two fashion shows by Dressini of Market Bosworth.

This showcase community event aims to bring together in excess of 2,000 people in the beautiful surroundings of the Manor, raising both the profile of our organisation and corporate sponsors as well as generating much needed funds for the Foundation.

Can you help? The Foundation is looking for the support in the following ways:

We welcome support for any of the Foundation’s ongoing charitable work
We thank you for considering this request; your support for the Foundation would be invaluable and all sponsorship / donations will be gratefully acknowledged in our publicity material during the year.

To find out more please call 01530 244914.

For further information on the work of the Foundation visit are websites:

www.shuttlewood-clarke.org and www.yewtrail.org.uk

We look forward to hearing from you.

We are delighted to announce that Ady Dayman Leicestershire’s young celebrity Radio and TV gardener will be opening the Shuttlewood Clarke Foundation’s Flower Festival on Friday 10th September.
Ady of Derry’s Nurseries Cossington and Charnwood Chilli fame will be on site from approximately 9am, performing the official opening at 9.45am.
To book tickets for this wonderful event please telephone 01530 244914 or Email admin@shuttlewood-clarke.org