This article was written by David Forsdike, and first published in the Ipswich Unitarian Newsletter for February 2022. Find out more about Ipswich Unitarians here: Ipswich Unitarians

“I became aware of TWAM after I retired and was in a position to give some time to what I thought
was a very worthwhile cause. TWAM is an acronym for Tools With a Mission, and the idea is to refurbish no longer wanted items for use in Africa. TWAM will take any hand tools, spanners, manual or electric sewing machines, knitting machines, books and computers. They are sorted, cleaned and repaired and the electrical items are PAT-tested before they are sent off in a shipping container to various countries in Africa.

For as long as I can remember I have always taken things apart and had a go at repairing them, so it was ideal for me when I was set to work on refurbishing sewing machines. Most of the time a good clean and lubrication will get a machine running as good as new, but occasionally more complex problems do arise. Usually, with a bit of thought and application the vast majority of machines can be made to run and sew as new.

Any machines that are beyond repair are stripped of the good parts, leaving us with a good supply of used components which we can use to bring machines up to scratch. Some of the manual machines are over one hundred years old, and after they have been serviced they will probably be good for another century of use.

It feels good to be part of something that can make a real difference to people’s lives. A sewing
machine will give both men and women an alternative way of earning a living and supporting
their family. ”

To find out more about TWAM, visit their website: TWAM

David Forsdike