Gerry Example – FAQs

BWA is a friendly club for woodturners of all abilities, from complete beginners to masters. Members are drawn mainly from Central and East Berkshire, South Oxfordshire, and South Buckinghamshire, though some members join from further afield and participate online via Zoom.

The club has been running for over 30 years and has its first official Club Patron, master turner Gary Rance RPT.

Not at all. BWA is open to woodturners of all abilities and interests — absolute beginners are just as welcome as experienced turners. New members start in the Beginners skill level and progress at their own pace.

Club nights are held at:

Priestwood Community Centre, Bracknell, RG42 1TU

Doors open at 7:00 pm and meetings begin shortly afterwards.

Club nights are held every third Wednesday of each month, throughout the year. Doors open at 7:00 pm.

Most club nights are built around a turning demonstration by an invited professional or guest turner — covering a specific item, technique, or tool. The evening also includes:

• A monthly competition where members bring in pieces to be judged
• A wood and tool sale at most meetings, with timber blanks from native British trees available at very reasonable prices
• A chance to socialise with other members over a cup of tea

Special evenings include the Open Evening (typically March), the AGM (October), and the Christmas Special (December).

Yes. All club night demonstrations are run in a hybrid format. In addition to attending in person, members can watch demonstrations live via Zoom from home. Sessions are also recorded for later viewing, so you’ll never miss a demonstration even if you’re away.

Several members now join entirely remotely over Zoom. The club also holds regular Zoom coffee morning drop-ins, open to any member.

Workshops are held roughly every two months, typically at weekends, at either a member’s workshop or at Priestwood Community Centre. They are full-day events focused on a specific turning technique (e.g. multi-axis turning, finishing and decorating). The club provides lathes and mentoring from experienced turners. Attendees bring their own wood, tools, and enthusiasm. A small charge is made to cover costs.

Yes. BWA provides demonstrations at local events to promote woodturning and attract new members. Past events have included demonstrations for the Women’s Institute, the Scouts, local Craft Fairs, Garden Centres, and Village Fetes.

The annual subscription is £55 per member. Membership runs from 1st January to 31st December. A sliding scale of reduced fees applies for new members joining after 1st April.

Yes. Non-members are welcome to attend a free taster session. After that, there is a £5 charge per meeting for non-members. It is appreciated if you contact the club in advance of your visit.

To join, email the Membership Secretary at membership@berkshirewoodturners.org.uk.

For general enquiries, contact the Club Secretary at secretary@berkshirewoodturners.org.uk.

No. BWA membership does not include membership of the Association of Woodturners of Great Britain (AWGB), but the club encourages all members to join independently. AWGB membership costs £24 per year.

BWA runs three types of competition:

• Turner of the Year (TOTY) – a monthly competition running January to November with a set theme each month plus an open category. Points accumulate through the year, with annual winners in each skill level announced in December.
• Skill Level Progression Assessments – held four times a year (March, June, September, December), these assess members against criteria to determine progression to the next skill level.
• Keith Sherwood Challenge – held at the December Christmas Special evening, this is an open vote competition where members vote for their favourite piece in each skill level.

An experienced club member judges monthly entries and ranks them. Points are awarded as follows:

• 1st – 10 points
• 2nd – 8 points
• 3rd – 6 points
• 4th – 4 points
• 5th – 2 points

Points accumulate through the year across both the themed and open categories. Updated scores are published monthly on the BWA website.

Members are placed into one of four skill levels:

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced
• Master

New members start in the Beginners level (unless they provide prior work for review). All Beginners automatically progress to Intermediate after two years in the club, or sooner by submitting pieces for skills assessments.

Progression is based on Skill Level Assessment submissions. To advance, you need to:

• Submit at least three pieces for assessment during the year (out of a maximum of four opportunities), and
• Achieve a total of at least 74 out of 90 points from your best three scores

Pieces are scored across three categories — Form & Design, Finish, and Technical Difficulty — with up to 10 points available in each (maximum 30 per piece). Detailed personal feedback is given privately by the judge.

The TOTY competition runs in a blended format — members can submit pieces either in the hall or by sending photos to the committee for collation and judging. A ‘virtual competition table’ PDF is sent to all members each month.

Note: Skill Level Progression Assessment pieces must be submitted physically in the hall.

Yes. At most club evenings, timber blanks (generally from native British trees) collected by club volunteers throughout the year are sold at very competitive prices — far cheaper than commercial outlets. Members are also welcome to sell unwanted tools, with a percentage of proceeds going to club funds.

BWA also organises wood collection work parties to harvest timber from donated sources — from garden cuttings to large trees — which is then sold to members at club nights.

Yes. The Documents section of the website is a members-only area containing recordings of past demonstrations, club documents, competition PDFs, and more.

There is also a private Facebook Group for members and a public Facebook Page.

Yes. BWA has its own YouTube channel with recordings of past demonstrations. The Information page on the website also links to recommended channels including Axminster Tools, Record Power, Richard Raffan, and Richard Findley.

For membership enquiries: membership@berkshirewoodturners.org.uk

For all other enquiries: secretary@berkshirewoodturners.org.uk

More information is available at berkshirewoodturners.org.uk.