I ❤️ the Craft Coop

Look at all the beautiful, handmade treasures.

Last week we took a wander to the Craft Coop to meet the wonderful manager, Heidi, and the lovely volunteer team.

Being both perpetually nosy and having spotted this little cave of wonders a few weeks previous, we were excited to learn more about the cute, community-run shop in Windsor Yards.

Heidi is a passionate resident of Windsor who was disappointed that most of the gifts on offer to tourists were made in China and not made locally. So she started her own giftware range and asked the founders of a community coop in neighbouring maidenhead if they would consider setting up in Windsor…

Wonderful Heidi and her ‘I heart Windsor’ range.

To her surprise and delight, they took her up on her offer but on the condition that she took the lead, a challenge that, an already very busy Heidi, thankfully took on.

Despite a global pandemic, the coop launched with 30 local artists and a thriving community of supporters. The Craft Coop offers a, much needed, diverse range of talent and a place for local artists to showcase and sell their work. At a time when the Artist community has been hit hard, Heidi has provided a rainbow of positive, colourful, vibes in an otherwise generic retail district. It’s not just local residents that are supportive, the council too can see the benefits of having a craft coop in town that has become a community hub for all sorts of wonderful creative endeavours.

If you are interested in appearing in the shop please click here they pride themselves on being an affordable place on the high street to sell handmade goods.

If you are a visitor to Windsor or a local resident then please stop by the shop and show your support. Hopefully, it’s only the beginning of a new way to shop and perhaps a wider indication of a need for community and individual artist expression, coupled with passionate, clever, creative people like Heidi taking the initiative we could see more social enterprises putting the soul back into our high streets.

Denby Richards, Local Artist and Printmaker, standing next to his work and the work of his wife Christine Richards.