Wednesday March 12th 2025
Teenage members from Down’s Syndrome Scotland enjoying an afternoon workshop learning new wood-crafting skills at Old School Fabrications in Midlothian. Old School Fabrications is one of three Scottish-based artisans to create handcrafted pieces for the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show ‘Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden'.
Written by Midlothian View Reporter, Luke Jackson
Last week, a group of teenagers from Scottish charity, Down’s Syndrome Scotland were delighted to attend a skills-based wood-working workshop at leading artisan-makers Old School Fabrications in Midlothian.
Renowned for turning bold ideas into extraordinary installations, objects, and structures, the design and build specialists at Old School Fabrications are one of three Scottish artisans commissioned by Nick Burton and Duncan Hall of Burton Hall Garden Design to create handcrafted pieces for the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show ‘Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden’.
Old School Fabrications’ brief was to design and fabricate a garden building made from sustainable wood that would provide a sheltered space to reflect the positive qualities of people with Down’s syndrome, such as their kindness, empathy and compassion. As their design evolved over the last months, Nick and Duncan have affectionally renamed the building ‘The Hug’ due to its organic shape, use of warm materials and the feeling of a comforting embrace it will provide when someone walks inside it.
The teenagers from Down’s Syndrome Scotland enjoyed seeing the progress of the garden building and worked with the skilled artisans in a specially created workshop, learning how to sand and oil wood samples with different water-based stains to transform their appearance. Using some of the leftover timber from the construction of ‘The Hug,’ they also learned how to craft coffee coasters, so each member had a memorable and useful piece of the garden building to take home.
Old School Fabrications is one of three Scottish-based artisans to create handcrafted pieces for the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show ‘Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden’.The group of teenagers were also joined by the show garden’s designers, Nick Burton and Duncan Hall and the Chief Executive of Down’s Syndrome Scotland, Eddie McConnell, who enjoyed seeing the group of members learn new skills and the fabrication progress of the uniquely-designed garden building before its 370-mile journey south to Chelsea, London in May.
Co-Designer of the Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden, Duncan Hall, said: ’We were delighted to watch teenagers from Down’s Syndrome Scotland learn new wood-working skills at the Old School Fabrications workshop today. ‘The Hug’ garden building will sit among tall river birch trees in the ‘Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden’ to provide shelter and comfort. Once inside, visitors will feel secure and reassured as they sit and relax amongst a cosy range of decorative cushions that the Down’s Syndrome Scotland community are helping us create. A bunting display of 21 uniquely knitted ‘stripey socks,’ one of the emblems of the charity due to its resemblance to chromosomes, provides another element of fun and celebrates difference – the team can’t wait to see it arrive through the gates of the famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show site in May!”
Director Neville Rae from Old School Fabrications said, “It was an absolute pleasure to welcome a fantastic group of teenagers from Down Syndrome Scotland to our design studios and workshops. They explored our process of creating bespoke objects and buildings, gaining insight into the craftsmanship behind our work. Seeing The Hug come to life was a highlight for them as they learned about the design, materials, and ideas behind it. To make the experience even more special, we repurposed offcut materials from the project into handcrafted coffee coasters, which we oiled together. It was a truly rewarding day, and we feel privileged to be part of such a meaningful project”
The ‘Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden’ is made possible by sponsorship from Project Giving Back, a unique grant-making charity that supports cause-driven gardens at RHS Chelsea, ensuring their legacy continues by relocating them to community sites across the UK. It can be seen at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show from the 20th-24th May 2025, before the garden returns to its permanent home at Watch US Grow in Palacerigg Country Park in North Lanarkshire, so it can make long-term, positive changes to the lives of adults with additional support needs.
Down’s Syndrome Scotland supports families and people with Down’s syndrome all over Scotland and is dedicated to helping them achieve their fullest potential in life. Membership of Down’s Syndrome Scotland is free to everyone who wants to help the charity grow and reach more people with Down’s syndrome more quickly and more often.
Eddie McConnell, Chief Executive of Down’s Syndrome Scotland was delighted to see teenagers from the charity get involved with the project. He said: “We are so grateful to Old School Fabrications for creating this opportunity for our members to experience the build of ‘The Hug’. This is their garden, and it’s so important that they get to be involved.”
To follow the Down’s Syndrome Scotland Garden’s journey to RHS Chelsea and return to Scotland, CLICK HERE.
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