12 minute read
Honister Green Slate Mine with Jan Wilkinson
By Sarah Ridgway
We spoke with Jan Wilkinson co-owner of Honister Green Slate Mine which is the last working slate mine in England. The family bought the derelict mine 22 years ago after a half an hour meeting and today it is one of the Lake Districts top attractions.
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Slate is a product usually associated with roofs, how versatile is it?
It massively versatile, especially slate from the Lake District because it is so pure as it is formed from volcanic ash so there are very few impurities. Slate from the rest of the world is riverbed and is what you call sedimentary so contains different minerals making it weaker and less waterproof. “Honister Green Slate is “the cream of slate throughout the world”. We still make roofing slates, but we have expanded into things like floor tiles, worktops, bathroom tiles, chopping boards and vases. We also make chippings for gardens, benches, house signs, and dinnerware. The dinnerware is stunning because of the colour and when you present food on our slate it does look quite regal. It is also very versatile as you can put hot things straight on to it and can also be put it in the freezer. Have you seen a rise in the popularity of slate?
Yes, especially as everything has shifted online with Covid. We have an interactive website, and we get lots of visitors from film crews, children’s programmes and many adverts are filmed here so we have gained more exposure that way. Also, people knowing that we have something that is British made is really good for trade. What are your bestselling products/most popular?
That is a hard question because there are at least five. The walling stones are popular as there are lots of properties being built that want to use them. Our slate kitchen worktops are very in vogue now and also look stunning. Headstones too, because people want a little bit of the Lake District especially those that used to walk in the fells. We also work closely with a place called Clarendon Wood who are offer eco-friendly burials. We do bespoke stones that sit on the final resting place of the remains and that is definitely a booming side of the business. This time of year, people are out into their gardens and tidying them up, so aggregates sell well alongside gravel and garden benches. How durable is slate?
Extremely, we have roofing slates that have been on old cottages in the Lake District for over 400 years and they still in good working order. You can even take them off and put them back on and that comes back to how the slate was formed from volcanic ash, making it incredibly strong and water-resistant. That is why they are used for headstones as you get more longevity and are more durable than sandstone. How important is being ethical and sustainable and how do you incorporate that into the business?
It is hugely important, and we are very aware of the importance of being a British made product. We
support local businesses and have other local people contributing at the shop be it, glass manufacturers, to pictures and cards. We strongly advocate that being British made is something to support and find out customers really like taking home a little piece of the Lake District. It is quite arduous getting the slate from the mountain but when people learn it is manufactured less than half a mile away into the end product, they are incredibly supportive of that. This means we don’t have any waste products so everything we bring out of the mine is used. We are passionate about our environment, we know that we are caretakers, and it is nice to share that with people of all different genres and age groups whether they are new or have visited us before. Do you have a shop or is everything just online?
Because we are also a tourist visitor centre, we have a shop on-site and our website. What is new for 2021 in the world of slate?
A modern phenomenon recently came from the Great British Bake Off. Following from that we received many requests for slate cake stands and slate rolling pins which created a boom for us. Throughout the year we are constantly making bespoke things for our customers and we set trends. We also work with other companies including Stagecoach who put on a coach from Keswick that leaves in various directions bringing clients up to us, they allocate and change the service dependent on demand throughout the season. Are you one of the only companies offering this service?
Again, and you can quote us on this as it is a fact, we are “the cream of all slates” because of the unique way it is formed. Therefore, we often attract interesting request and are currently working with a high-end bike shop to produce bespoke bike stands. Are all the products made on-site and in the local area?
Yes, they are, we are a company that likes working with the Cumbrian and local community as we believe when we work together, we create a stronger product. We have a team of very skilled people and most of our staff have been with us for over fifteen years and some almost twenty. What effect has the pandemic had on your business?
It has been extremely hard as the tourism side was only active in July and August last year. This year we are hopeful to benefit from the staycation as we are in such a beautiful location. When the season does resume, I am concerned it will bring back a legacy of people not respecting the surroundings. On my journey to work, I noticed increased littering during July and August. This is our backyard, and the solution Is doable we just need to think out of the box. I think to combat this we need to share this message and educate people in a very respectful way. Covid has also been frightening for our staff and we have had to adapt and minimise. We split the workforce into two teams, so if there were any cases of Covid the other team could step in. Thankfully, the shop ticked away nicely and kept us buoyant, which is the beautiful thing about the multi-faceted Honister meaning if something fails then we still have an income stream that will keep going. How excited are you to be welcoming back people to the activity centre?
We are currently only opened at 50% capacity with the tourist side closed until 13th May. When we fully open the activities will operate perfectly as they are outside and can easily incorporate social distancing as it is very safe to do. We have done a few facelifts on our property, so it is all coming together. We are getting that sense of excitement from the staff who are coming in more and more and are itching to start meeting people again as they are fed up with being stuck at home. Are you planning another Honister Fest?
Yes, we are planning to do another Honister Fest in September. Also, Red Bull will be joining us in September to do a fell race with a difference. The family are all outdoorsy people, but we are happy to have welcomed an influx of younger people to the team who are bringing new energy and innovation. Last year we launched the Portaledge which is a fixed ledge that dangles underneath our infinity bridge. You can camp on it overnight and it provides such a sensation it is beautiful. Of course, you are all strapped on to safety cables and are always at the end of a radio, so if you need to come off or you are frightened all you have to say is “come and get me” and there will be a guide up there within a few minutes to get you off. When you took over the business 22 years ago did you have pre-existing knowledge or had to learn as you went along?
It was a very steep learning curve right from the very beginning. It was my partner Mark Weir who heard the mine was up for sale and went down and had a meeting, within half an hour he had agreed to purchase it. After that, he went out and sought out all the old quarrymen who had worked there and dragged them up for their expertise and bombarded them with questions. Mark was a massively talented entrepreneur, and it was he who started the mine tours. Bit by bit he developed new products and was the inventor of the slate aggregate and chippings for gardens. We also renovated the shop and added more products and found with modernity new ideas come along and old ones drop off a bit like fashion. Mark has left us with something incredibly special, even in the cold and arduous winter a snowy day makes you feel it is a privilege to be up there. We respect it as we know that we are only here temporarily and are keeping the legacy going for future generations it is a very humble place. Honister makes you feel special and on top of the world and you can get all weathers, but this just makes you realise you are alive; it blows the cobwebs away. One of our beliefs at Honister is if you have made a positive memory then we are so to have given it to you to take away. We don’t have to be a part of it as the location itself can create it. I think especially after Covid people need to get out and feel freedom again, we are incredibly lucky we have space and are more than happy to share it with people and keep creating beautiful memories.
Aiming Higher
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New Faces at Aiming Higher
Here at Aiming Higher we are pleased to be working alongside The Rank Foundation, who have funded a 12-month placement for a Human Resources Officer through their Time to Shine Programme.
This has enabled us to create the role which has now been filled by Caroline Eccleston. Caroline will be mentored by Latoya Sykes, Direct Services Manager. The Rank Foundation will provide many opportunities for learning, development and networking with organisations both here in Blackpool and across the UK. Caroline joined Aiming Higher in March 2021 and has settled into her role well.
Caroline, who has a background in the care sector, is currently studying towards a BA (Honours) in Business Management (Accounting route). She has completed many HR related tasks within previous roles and is looking forward to building on her skills and knowledge whilst providing support to the team.
The Human Resources Officer role is a very varied role which centres around looking after the staff team. This could include supporting continued professional development through various methods of training, resolving problems and celebrating successes, monitoring leave, staff inductions, monitoring and evaluating performance and much more.
We are excited to welcome the new role and to be joining The Rank Foundation throughout the year for networking, training and development.
The Rank Foundation also provided funding for the development of a new website for the charity.
Above: Amy Giles
Aiming Higher have also welcomed two new Family Support Workers in recent months, Amy Giles and Jenny Jones.
From the age of 18 Amy had been interested in the third sector and facilitated workshops to local charities, where she first came across Aiming Higher. Her journey continued to another local organisation where she supported vulnerable children and young people in gaining life skills and building resilience. During this time, she gained my level 3 diploma in children and young people’s workforce and then continued in Education achieving my BA Hons in health and Social Care.
Amy tells us, “For the past eight years working directly with Children and young people it has allowed me to also work alongside the parents and carers, including professionals. I thoroughly enjoyed building a rapport with the families and wanted to expand my knowledge around this area of working.
Since starting work at Aiming Higher as a family support worker I feel it has given me the tools to work with the families to understand their needs and work cooperatively to find solutions and build resilience. I am looking forward to continuing my journey with Aiming Higher, further developing these skills and putting the support in place to allow the families to thrive independently.”
Above: Jenny Jones
Jenny joined Aiming Higher in March after moving to Blackpool in January of this year. She lived in Bristol for many years prior to moving up north. Alongside raising her children, she returned to college and then progressed to gain a Sociology degree at university. Following this she was able to develop her career supporting others.
Her career has ranged from supporting people find employment to supporting others manage their Direct Payments. She then progressed into mental health and was able to support adults/parents manage their complex mental health issues and become more independent in managing their lives.
Jenny says “Following my move to Blackpool I was lucky enough to find Aiming Higher and was offered a Family Support Role which I thoroughly enjoy.
It has become a great opportunity for me to be involved in a local organization who have done and continue to do an amazing job supporting families who have children with additional needs. Everyone in the team has made me feel so welcome and I very much look forward to supporting families and being part of the local community.”
Like all charities, Aiming Higher saw fundraising activity decrease in 2020, so if you can support them in any way possible, be that by volunteering, or by donating, any assistance will be gratefully received. Please send your ideas to: heatherholt@aiminghighercharity.org.uk
