Patron:

Mr Roy Noble OBE

Officers

Chairman: Mr Ged Hadley, Rhoose

Hon Secretary: Mr John Poole, Merthyr Tydfil

Hon Treasurer: Mr Malcolm Seaborne, Carmarthen

Hon Show Secretary: Mr Kevin O’Brien, Rhondda

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The South Wales Stickmakers Guild was formed on the 5th April 1986 at a meeting held at the Welsh Folk Museum, St Fagans, near Cardiff. However soon after its formation it was decided to drop the word "Guild" from the title, and we have been known as South Wales Stickmakers ever since.

A number of people who attended the inaugural meeting at St Fagans are still active members of our group today. The group continued meeting at St Fagans, until 1993, when it moved to Dare Valley Country Park, Aberdare, which remains the venue. for our four annual meetings.

Our membership is drawn from West, Mid, South and East Wales and stretches across the border into the Marches and the West of England, plus a few from even further afield.

Membership is open to anyone, the aim of the group being to promote and foster the craft of stick making. The groups meetings consist of workshops, demonstrations and presentations, by both members and guest speakers, on both stickmaking and related crafts. Advice and assistance is freely available to anyone interested in taking up the craft.

Mr Roy Noble, the well known BBC radio and television presenter, is the Patron of our group and and a keen supporter of the craft. Meetings are always held on Saturday's starting at 10.0 am and continue into the afternoons after a lunch break. Commencing in 2008 the afternoon session will be particularly geared to newcomers and those wishing to refresh their basic skills. 

Dare Valley Country Park has excellent facilities, so please come along and join a group of friendly people who are only to willing to pass-on their experience as well as learn new ways to partake in our interesting and rewarding pastime.

We hope that this new venture into the world of Information Technology will help to spread the word of our groups existence and activities and thereby bring about a closer bond between our +140 members and all those interested in joining us.

Friendship and a warm welcome await all.