Events

Join us for our fundraising events, from craft workshops to tool sales and tea parties.  Or why not take on your own challenge to support our work?

Take on a challenge

Take on a challenge for Tools for Self Reliance

Are you a keen runner, cyclist or swimmer? Can you climb any mountain, ford any stream? Maybe your’re planning a sky dive, or can’t think of anything more impossible than a sponsored silence?

Whatever challenge you’re taking on, you can help raise vital funds, giving young people access to vocational training and business development projects across Africa, and supporting our tool refurbishment programme in the UK. 

Please email fundraising@tfsr.org or give us a call on 02380 869697 to tell us about your event. We’ll send you a sponsorship pack and help you promote your challenge too.


Secure your space on the starting line.  Search for organised events in your area, from local park runs to sea swims. Register to secure your spot, start your training, and begin collecting sponsorship from your friends, family, colleagues and neighbours.

Get your great idea in gear.  Pop a callout on your group chat, don your Lycra and hold a ‘cycle to school’ day, or ‘cycle to work’ week.  Take the lead in a line-dance, or start the longest conga in five counties.  Your get together will keep you fit, having fun and raising money at the same time!

Make a spectacle of your skills.  Put together a 1000 piece puzzle in under an hour or recreate a Rembrandt… with a blindfold on.   Invite people to join in, or cheer you on from the sidelines if you prefer to go solo?

Bite your tongue.  Do you have a reputation as a chatter-box, or seem to be one of the louder people in the room? Why not set yourself a challenge and have a sponsored silence for the day.  Of course, you can communicate by other means, but your mouth will have to stay stumm.  How long with you last?  How much will people pay to find out?

 

If you’d like a sponsorship form or more information, please contact fundraising@tfsr.org or telephone 02380 869697

 

Tool Sales at our Netley Marsh Workshop

Come and browse our huge selection of quality refurbished tools and help us raise vital funds for our overseas training projects.

National Sewing Machine Day 

Saturday 14th June – Time TBC

Join us as we celebrate National Sewing Machine Day with a great selection of refurbished sewing machines surplus to stock or unsuitable for our projects overseas.  Our expert volunteers will be on hand to give advice and demonstrations so come along and find the perfect machine to set you on your sewing journey.  Browse our range of fabrics, haberdashery and sewing supplies before you go.

 

Tea for Tools – Summer Tools & Haberdashery Sale

Saturday 9th August – Time  TBC

Our annual summer sale is back, with a great selection of DIY, gardening, hand tools and power tools, plus haberdashery and craft supplies. Work up an appetite for our delicious homemade cakes and refreshments and help us raise money to support our upcoming vocational training projects in Africa.

 

November Tool & Haberdashery Sale

Saturday 29th November – Time  TBC

Treat yourself to an early Christmas gift or find the perfect present for a friend or loved one.  We’ll have a wide range of preloved and refurbished workshop tools, garden tools, hand tools and electrical tools for you to browse, then pop upstairs to find haberdashery and crafts before you go.

 

Netley Marsh Workshop
Ringwood Road
Southampton
SO40 7GY

Tools on Tour - Come and visit us!

You helped us raise over £25,900 in 2024 from the sale of surplus tools and haberdashery.  Every sale makes a big difference – by keeping good quality tools in circulation you are helping to recycle and you are supporting our work to help more trainees join our vocational training and business development projects.  Thank you!

 

New Forest Folk Festival, Plaitford, Hampshire

Wednesday 2nd – Sunday 6th July 2025

Visit us at the New Forest Folk Festival and choose from a wide range of refurbished DIY, workshop and garden tools before enjoying a weekend of folk music and refreshments on Powell Farm.

 

 

New Forest Show, Brockenhurst, Hampshire

Tuesday 29th – Thursday 31st July 2025

No trip to the New Forest in July is complete without a visit to the county show.  Come and visit our charity trade stand and help us raise funds to provide training opportunities across Africa in a range of trades.  We’ll have a great selection of workshop and garden tools all in need of new forever homes.

 

The Oak Fair, Stock Gaylard Estate, Dorset

Saturday 23rd – Sunday 24th August 2025

Treat yourself to an early Christmas gift or find the perfect present for a friend or loved one.  We’ll have a wide range of preloved and refurbished workshop tools, garden tools, hand tools and electrical tools.  Pop upstairs to find haberdashery and crafts before you go.

 

Do you know of a show that would like Tools for Self Reliance to get involved? Please get in touch by emailing: fundraising@tfsr.org 

Craft Workshops

Our lovely Craft2Craft volunteers have been helping us raise funds for over 10 years!  They are back with a brand new suite of afternoon workshops for 2025.  These 2-hour sessions are a great way to explore and indulge your creativity, make new friends and drink tea and eat cake.

Time:  2pm – 4pm
Location:  Tools For Self Reliance HQ, Ringwood Road, SO40 7GY

 

Thursday 19th June

Make an Apron 

Make an adults or a child’s apron (or both if you’re quick). All materials provided but please bring your own sewing machine if possible.  Tickets are £15 per person.

Book now on 02380 869697 or email fundraising@tfsr.org

 

 

Thursday 17th July

Cross Stitch Cards

Work from a kit or choose your own design.  All materials provided plus hot drink and cake.  Tickets are £15 per person.

Book now on 02380 869697 or email fundraising@tfsr.org

 

 

 

Sponsor an Event

Are you looking to build your business or looking for new marketing opportunities? You can sponsor one of the Tools for Self Reliance events, in exchange for your sponsorship, we can promote your logo and business through out our advertising and at the event.

Sponsoring a charity is a great way to showcase your services whilst giving to a great cause. Every event hosted by Tools For Self Reliance is all in aid of raising funds to get tools and training to people in Africa. Please help us achieve this!

 

If you are interested in sponsoring one of the Tools For Self Reliance events, please contact fundraising@tfsr.org for more information, or telephone 02380 869697

Where we work