Celebrating the people powering Stockport: Meet Tom, Vinny & Arvinda, creating community places from empty spaces

From its roots as a commercial woodworking space, Merseyway Studios has blossomed into one of Stockport town centre's most inspiring community spaces, thanks to Tom Marrett, Vinny Ratcliffe and Arvinda Gray.

Tom and Vinny, who run Easy Peel CIC, took on an empty shop unit in Merseyway and transformed it into something much bigger. Today, Merseyway Workshop is a welcoming creative hub where artists, makers, residents and community groups come together to learn new skills, share ideas and build connections.

With Arvinda joining the team as Creative Programmer, Merseyway Workshop now has a brilliantly curated programme of courses, exhibitions, creative projects and events that attracts people from across the borough. Its impact can be seen in the work that participants produce, as well as the friendships and confidence that they gain along the way.

“We’ve sort of managed to turn Merseyway Workshop into a thriving three-tiered community art space in the heart of Stockport,” said Tom. “It’s grown into a welcoming place for artists, makers and local residents, for everyone to come and create things, learn things and connect together. Our model combines social enterprise with community programming.”

One example is their woodworking programme with Stockport Homes residents, where people spent several weeks crafting handmade items for their homes while getting to know others in their community.

Residents start off making something small, like a tray or a bird box and then work up to something bigger, like a stool or a chair. They walk away with handmade objects and, even more importantly, some brilliant new connections.

The Merseyway Workshop team believe that making these connections is as important as the work itself. Tom explains, “An ideal workshop is when you can step away and people are just naturally chinwagging and getting on with things.”

And there are more opportunities for creative conversations to come. Future plans include new workshops, community programmes and a public art project that will invite local people to help shape a new landmark sculpture for Stockport.

Tom, Vinny and Arvinda’s story shows what can happen when creativity and community come together. By turning an empty shop into a place where people can create, connect and feel welcome, they’ve built far more than a workshop.

Want to get involved? Take a look at Merseyway Workshop’s latest workshops, events and creative opportunities, or explore other creative events across Stockport on the Stockport Council website.