About Crafted Words

Crafted Words CIC is a non-profit social enterprise that harnesses creativity, community, and connection to support wellbeing.

Based on a narrowboat in Birmingham, their work is rooted in community. They travel the canal and river network to deliver pop-up creative sessions, hold workshops in local venues, and connect people through shared stories and hands-on making.

From folded zines to collaborative art pieces, they create space for expression, reflection, and joy - helping people feel seen, heard, and valued.

Choosing our environmental micro-grant competition winner

Creative Lives received a large number of entries to our environmental micro-grant competition - giving us lots of fantastic ideas to share with everyone in our upcoming toolkit. Our assessment panel felt that Crafted Words has imbeded sustainabiltiy into every single aspect of their organisation and activities.

"As a small community organisation that works from a narrowboat home base, we naturally operate with limited storage, limited energy use and a strong focus on reducing waste," explains Lisa Evans of Crafted Words CIC. "This has shaped the way we run our creative wellbeing sessions. We prioritise reusable, low impact materials, use refillable inks and durable folders that can be used across multiple courses. Any single use items are kept to an absolute minimum. And when we create zines, journals or crafts, we use rescued paper, offcuts, second hand magazines and donated materials that would otherwise be thrown away."

Finding good advice

When it came to seeking advice on sustainability, Lisa looked for help in a variety of places . . .

"We found guidance through the Voluntary Sector Councils, the Canal and River Trust," says Lisa. "And from grassroots community groups who have long modelled low waste creativity. Their examples helped us see that small, consistent habits can make a real difference."

Being creative with sustainability

"Our biggest discovery was that sustainability works best when you make it part of the creative process," says Lisa. "Using scrap paper, old maps, packaging and donated materials sparks imagination and removes pressure, especially for anxious beginners. 

"Another helpful tip is to create a small 'reuse box' for every session, filled with offcuts and leftover materials from previous workshops. It keeps waste out of the bin and gives people permission to play."

Getting people onboard

"We also learned how vital it is to share your ethos with participants," shares Lisa. "We have found that most people are keen to support low waste creativity once they know how to do it and why it matters."

For more information about Crafted Words CIC, visit their website, Facebook page, Instagram or LinkedIn pages.