We have hundreds of volunteers who help us in all sorts of ways and so we define a group as one or more people who collect and refurbish tools
The three elements required to start a group are;

• volunteers
• workshop or working space

• tools

  Volunteers

  A lot of tool refurbishing does not require previous skills and can be quickly taught. A few skilled refurbishers in the group with knowledge of the tools of different trades will be invaluable in teaching technical skills to others.
  As well as refurbishing some volunteers will be needed to;

• collect tools
• organise the tool storage and packing
• publicise the group, Tools for Self Reliance and the wider issues

• fundraise for the group and Tools for Self Reliance

  You can find volunteers by approaching your local volunteer bureau, putting an advert in the local paper or parish magazine, putting posters up at supermarkets and local libraries, and telling everyone you know that you are looking for volunteers.

  
  Vounteers at the Bakewell group.

  Finding a Workshop

  The ideal situation is for the group to have their own workshop space where they can store tools and set up workbenches. Typical locations for the groups are:

• church basements
• redundant school rooms
• local authority redundant buildings
• university and student union buildings

• community centres

  However several groups work successfully without their own space. Some groups share a hall or a school room and pack away all their tools at the end of their meeting. Some of the smaller groups meet in one of the groups home workshop. One group does not have a workshop at all but they meet at a garage once a month where their tools are stored and take away tools required to be worked on in their own homes. There are lots of opportunities.

  Tools

  Obtaining tools is usually the easiest of the three tasks. You can get more ideas by looking at our Collector pages