Alex

Alex Darke is a trustee of Thread & Butter Collective CIC and a multidisciplinary creative designer with more than twenty years’ industry experience working with some of the most successful design agencies, creative professionals and global brands. From conception to completion, he has built a proven track record of delivering effective design solutions and compelling brand identities for a wide variety of international clients.

After ten years working within studios across Manchester and Yorkshire, Alex established his own freelance practice and now works on a project-by-project basis, collaborating with agencies and creatives both in-house and remotely from his own studio. His work has taken him from B2B corporate events in Dallas to branding entire football stadiums for the UEFA Champions League Final, and then back home to helping small independent craft beer start-ups establish their own distinctive identities.

Alongside his commercial design work, Alex is an exhibiting collage artist whose practice is influenced by Surrealism and Pop Art. Combining vintage ephemera with landscapes, personalities, flora and fauna, he creates dreamlike and imaginative scenes using found materials gathered from antique books, retro magazines, packaging, slides, photographs and postcards. His collage work has been exhibited throughout the UK and internationally and has been featured in Creative Review.

As a trustee, Alex contributes to the visual identity and presentation of Thread & Butter Collective, helping communicate the vision of the Weaving Shed project through strong design, creativity and visual storytelling.

Outside the world of design, he enjoys listening to obscure funk and soul records, conjuring up Lebanese feasts in the kitchen and venturing into the wild on long-distance fell runs.

Annie

Annie Keki is a trustee of Thread & Butter Collective CIC, working as a creative practitioner, community organiser and project lead.

Her professional background spans creative practice, business management, clinical therapeutic practice and project development. Annie helped establish the collective from a belief that historic spaces should remain active, accessible and rooted within the communities they serve. At the heart of her work is a conviction that people, places and communities often have far greater potential than they first realise, and that creativity can be a powerful catalyst for positive change.

Before moving fully into creative and community-led work, Annie worked within the insurance industry at Lloyd’s of London as an underwriter and risk assessor. This analytical background continues to inform her strategic approach to project development and organisational planning, helping translate ambitious ideas into clear, deliverable plans while balancing vision with financial realism.

Alongside her work with Thread & Butter, Annie maintains a creative practice as a couturier and goldsmith and has more than twenty-five years’ experience working in clinical therapeutic practice, supporting individuals through personal development, confidence building and positive change. Her approach is centred around self-empowerment and helping people recognise their own capability and potential.

Under Annie’s leadership, the organisation has brought together artists, makers, educators, local residents and volunteers to begin the restoration and reimagining of the historic Weaving Shed at Woodend Mill. Having faced challenges within education early in life, she values resilience, adaptability and the importance of approaching problems from different perspectives. Her work focuses on preserving industrial heritage, supporting participation in the arts and developing sustainable creative spaces that connect traditional skills, wellbeing and contemporary creative practice.

As a trustee, Annie continues to guide the organisation’s long-term vision and development of the Weaving Shed project, creating opportunities for people to learn, create and thrive while ensuring heritage buildings remain active and relevant within the communities they serve.

BOGDAN

Bogdan Vodă is a trustee of Thread & Butter Collective CIC and founder of Tattoo Hub Studio, based at Woodend Mill in Mossley.

Originally from Transylvania, Romania, Bogdan moved to the UK in 2008 to pursue a career in nursing before later finding his path within the tattoo industry. Over the past fifteen years, he has built a reputation for creativity, attention to detail and a calm, thoughtful approach with clients.

Working from his studio within the mill, Bogdan sees tattooing as more than simply the finished piece. His work is rooted in storytelling, craftsmanship and creating meaningful artwork with lasting personal value. Through Tattoo Hub Studio, he has welcomed clients from across the UK and beyond, helping establish the studio as part of the growing creative community within Woodend Mill.

As a trustee, Bogdan is passionate about supporting the restoration of the historic Weaving Shed and helping protect a place that has become an important part of both his life and creative journey. He is committed to supporting the continued growth of Woodend Mill as a thriving creative community and ensuring the Weaving Shed remains an active and inspiring place for future generations.

Deborah

Deborah Owens (Debbie) is a trustee and secretary of Thread & Butter Collective CIC and co-founder of Luna Crafts Group, a community craft organisation that has been bringing people together through creativity for more than ten years.

Driven by a belief that creative opportunities should be accessible to everyone, Debbie has helped create a welcoming and supportive environment where people of all ages and abilities can learn new skills, build confidence and enjoy the benefits of making things together. Through regular sessions at Woodend Mill and work within the wider community, Luna Crafts Group has become known for its friendly, inclusive approach and commitment to wellbeing through creativity.

Alongside weekly craft sessions, Debbie has supported projects with residential and nursing homes, community groups and local organisations, helping ensure that creative opportunities reach people who may otherwise have limited access to them.

At the heart of Debbie’s work is a simple belief that making things by hand is good for the mind, and that creativity is at its best when shared with others. She is passionate about creating spaces where people feel welcome, valued and able to take part, regardless of experience or ability.

As a trustee, Debbie supports the creative community at Woodend Mill, volunteers with the Arts Award programme and is committed to helping ensure the restored Weaving Shed becomes a place where creativity, learning and community can continue to flourish.

JASON

Jason Stocks-Young is a trustee of Thread & Butter Collective CIC and founder of Diamond Awl Leather Workshop.

A passionate leatherworker, Jason learnt his craft from a traditional saddle-maker and was immediately drawn to the artistry, precision and heritage embedded within every piece of leatherwork. As his skills and knowledge developed, so did his desire to share the craft with others, leading him to teach workshops and pass on techniques and knowledge handed down through generations of makers.

His commitment to traditional craftsmanship has been recognised through appearances on national television, including the BBC Two series Made in Great Britain and The Saved and Remade Workshop on Discovery.

Jason is a member of the Guild of Master Craftsmen and a founder member of the Equity Advisory Council, established to provide expertise and guidance to the Crafts Council on anti-racism and related intersectional issues within the sector. He has also served on the judging panel for Collect Open at Somerset House in London and is a board member of the Great Northern Contemporary Craft Fair in Manchester.

As a trustee, Jason brings a strong commitment to heritage skills, creative education and the importance of passing traditional knowledge to future generations. He is passionate about ensuring the restoration of the Weaving Shed creates opportunities for learning, making and cultural participation within the community.

Leslie

Les Owens is a trustee of Thread & Butter Collective CIC, co-founder of Luna Crafts Group and a practising artist based at Woodend Mill.

Les helped establish Luna Crafts Group more than ten years ago with a simple aim: to create a space where people from the local community, including those with additional needs, could come together, take part and feel included. Having seen how easy it can be for people to feel left out, he believed creativity could help change that.

For Les, crafting is about far more than making things. It is about bringing people together in a friendly and welcoming environment where everyone has something to contribute and everyone belongs. Through Luna Crafts Group, he has helped create opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to learn new skills, build confidence and enjoy the benefits of creativity and friendship.

As both an artist and community volunteer, Les is passionate about encouraging people to try new things. His approach is simple: experiment, don't be afraid of mistakes and learn as you go. He believes confidence grows when people are given the freedom to explore, create and discover what they are capable of.

More than a decade on, Les remains committed to the belief that creativity opens doors and helps people feel valued. As a trustee, he is passionate about ensuring the restored Weaving Shed remains a welcoming and accessible place where creativity, community and opportunity can flourish for future generations.

LOUISE

Louise Stocks-Young is a trustee of Thread & Butter Collective CIC and an experienced fashion creative, communicator and educator.

Her professional career spans fashion branding, public relations, creative direction and higher education. She has held senior roles including Assistant Creative Director, Account Director, Head of Creative, and Brand & PR Communications Manager, working with multi-channel brands, leading creative teams and presenting at board level. Louise was also part of the founding team of the Fashion & Textile Museum in London and brings extensive experience of developing projects from concept through to design, manufacture, marketing and delivery.

Alongside her commercial work, Louise founded The Smockworks, a slow fashion brand built around traditional skills, made-to-order garments and a commitment to more responsible and sustainable approaches to fashion. Working with UK and Japanese denim, the business reflected her belief that creativity, craftsmanship and sustainability should go hand in hand.

Louise has more than fifteen years’ experience teaching fashion marketing, branding and communication within higher education, including roles at Sheffield Hallam University, Nottingham Trent University, Liverpool John Moores University and the University of Huddersfield. Her areas of expertise include branding, trend forecasting, business development, curriculum design and preparing students for industry. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, former Employability Lead for Art & Design at Sheffield Hallam University and has recently supported the assessment of quality and standards across higher education providers.

As a trustee, Louise brings a combination of creative industry knowledge, educational experience and a strong commitment to sustainable, community-focused practice. She is passionate about supporting opportunities for learning, creativity and participation through the restoration of the Weaving Shed.

Mark

Mark Leeming is a trustee of Thread & Butter Collective CIC and a creative storyteller, designer and brand builder with a passion for creating memorable visual experiences.

After studying Art, Design and Film at the University of Central Lancashire, Mark discovered a love for visual storytelling that would shape his career. Early experience working on feature films, including Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, provided a foundation in creative production and attention to detail that continues to influence his work today.

Mark went on to work as a freelance creative, collaborating with event companies to design unique guest experiences and immersive environments. His work has always been driven by a desire to create experiences that people remember and connect with.

In 2025, he moved into Woodend Mill to establish a dedicated creative space for art, photography and collaborative projects alongside other like-minded creatives.

That same year, Mark joined forces with Matthew Gilmartin at The Veg Lord, helping to transform the visual identity and merchandising of the business. His role quickly evolved into a full-time position as Brand Director, where he now leads large-scale seasonal farm shop installations, visual merchandising, advertising campaigns and content creation. Through film-quality advertising, creative storytelling and experiential design, he continues to help grow The Veg Lord into a distinctive and memorable destination.

As a trustee, Mark contributes his experience in storytelling, branding and creative production to the development of the Weaving Shed project. He is passionate about helping communicate the story of the building and ensuring its next chapter is as inspiring as its past.

Matthew

Matthew Gilmartin is a trustee of Thread & Butter Collective CIC, entrepreneur and founder of The Veg Lord, based at Woodend Mill in Mossley.

Matthew’s journey began with a decision to take a different path. Leaving college at 18, he chose to enter the corporate world rather than continue into further education, quickly building experience across a variety of industries.

His early career saw him working within Translation and Interpreting Services, where he managed a UK-wide service department supporting the Ministry of Justice. He later moved into Media and Marketing, developing a passion for communication, customer engagement and business growth.

In 2022, Matthew stepped away from corporate life with the intention of taking time to consider his next move. Instead, he found himself launching a fruit and vegetable business from the car park of Woodend Mill. What started as a simple idea quickly gained momentum and developed into The Veg Lord, a thriving local brand.

In 2025, Matthew joined forces with Mark Leeming to create an immersive shopping experience at Mossley’s very own farm shop. Together, they have transformed The Veg Lord into a destination that celebrates fresh produce, creativity and community. As the business continues to grow from strength to strength, Matthew remains passionate about creating a unique and memorable experience for every customer who walks through the door.

As a trustee, Matthew brings entrepreneurial experience, commercial insight and a strong understanding of customer engagement. He is passionate about helping create a sustainable future for the Weaving Shed and supporting Woodend Mill as a thriving creative destination.

Rachel

Rachel Wood is a trustee of Thread & Butter Collective CIC and a surface pattern designer, maker and visual artist based at Woodend Mill.

With more than twenty years’ experience in textile design, Rachel’s practice bridges commercial design and independent creative work. Influenced by African wax print textiles, global visual traditions and the industrial heritage of the North West, she creates vibrant, layered surface patterns defined by confident colour, rhythm and graphic form.

Rachel explores how pattern can tell stories, connect communities and transform everyday experiences into something joyful and meaningful. Whether gathering inspiration, designing surface patterns or working collaboratively within communities, her practice is rooted in the belief that creativity should be shared.

Alongside her studio practice, Rachel delivers creative workshops using textiles and surface pattern as tools for wellbeing and connection. She also teaches art within a local primary school, encouraging creativity and self-expression from an early age.

Across all areas of her work, Rachel is interested in creativity as a shared experience that connects people, place and story. Through bold colour, playful composition and the universal language of pattern, she creates work that brings people together and reflects the stories that shape us.

Sarah

Sarah Hardacre is a trustee of Thread & Butter Collective CIC and a visual artist, printmaker and cultural producer based at Woodend Mill in Mossley.

In both her personal and public practice, Sarah works as a visual archivist and historian, immersed in archival research to uncover hidden narratives and overlooked histories. Her collage and print works explore the experiences of women within the urban built environment and the complex relationship between female bodies, architecture and space. Through printmaking, collage and material disruption, she investigates how histories are recorded, remembered and represented, with a particular interest in visibility, containment and spatial power.

Sarah’s work has been exhibited internationally and featured in major exhibitions, including a retrospective celebrating 400 years of women artists at Sotheby’s London. She is represented by Paul Stolper Gallery in London and her work is held in public and private collections worldwide, including the British Museum and Damien Hirst’s MurderMe collection.

Alongside her studio practice, Sarah develops and delivers research-led cultural projects, public commissions and community engagement programmes. As a cultural producer, she builds projects from the ground up, establishing relationships across communities and uncovering local histories, particularly those of women. Her work often explores living heritage, identity and the sociohistorical stories of place, creating opportunities for communities to engage with their own histories in meaningful and lasting ways.

Sarah’s practice is deeply informed by her working-class northern identity and a fascination with the social, civic and political histories that shape both people and places. She is particularly interested in amplifying underrepresented voices and exploring what changing landscapes, industries and communities have meant for women across generations.

As a trustee, Sarah brings experience in cultural production, heritage interpretation and community engagement. She is passionate about ensuring that the restored Weaving Shed becomes a place where creativity, heritage and contemporary life meet, creating new opportunities for people to connect with both the building and the stories it holds.

Saruul

Saruul is a trustee of Thread & Butter Collective CIC and co-founder of Tattoo Hub Studio, based at Woodend Mill in Mossley.

Born in Mongolia, she has played a central role in shaping the studio into what it is today. Her eye for detail, calm approach and natural creativity have become a valued part of the experience clients encounter when they walk through the door.

With a background in wood and resin craftsmanship, Saruul spent years creating handmade pieces from her studio at Woodend Mill before becoming fully involved in the development and day-to-day running of Tattoo Hub Studio. Her creative background continues to influence the atmosphere, presentation and attention to detail that define the business.

Alongside her work at the studio, Saruul is passionate about supporting the restoration and preservation of the historic Weaving Shed. Through her role with Thread & Butter Collective, she is helping contribute towards a creative space that will serve future generations, strengthen the local community and ensure the mill remains a place where creativity can continue to thrive.

SUZANNE

Suzanne Darke is a trustee of Thread & Butter Collective CIC, graphic designer, printmaker and creative consultant with more than twenty-five years’ experience working across branding, design and communications.

Through her creative consultancy, Boolah, Suzanne works with organisations of all shapes and sizes, from community groups and cultural organisations to national and international brands, helping them tell their stories more clearly and connect with the people they serve.

Alongside her design work, Suzanne is a practising printmaker. Working primarily in lino, she enjoys exploring the relationship between bold graphic shapes, pattern and storytelling through print.

Suzanne has a lifelong curiosity for making and learning and believes creativity should not always sit behind gallery doors or agency walls. It belongs in everyday life. A strong advocate for lifelong learning, she is passionate about creating opportunities for people to connect through creativity, heritage and making.

As a trustee, Suzanne has played a leading role in shaping the Thread & Butter Collective brand and visual identity, helping establish how the organisation presents itself to its audiences, partners and supporters. She is proud to support the collective's work celebrating heritage, encouraging participation and helping shape the future of the Weaving Shed as a vibrant creative space for the community.