Edinburgh's Lord Provost was presented with a commemorative table hand-made by the Scottish Furniture Makers Association (SFMA) at a special ceremony in the City Chambers earlier today.
The event marks the end of a joint project between the Council’s Forestry Service and the SFMA to make use of trees affected by Dutch Elm disease in an effort to support the ‘local wood for local makers’ initiative.
Six 150-year old elms from the Meadows that had been affected by the outbreak were gifted by the Council to the SFMA whose members then hand-made unique pieces of furniture from the timber.
The table was presented to the Lord Provost in recognition of the Council’s support of this project. It is engraved with the words, “Handmade using elm from the Meadows in Edinburgh to commemorate the ‘local wood for local makers’ project. Presented to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh in 2012. Donated by the Scottish Furniture Makers Association. Made by Tom Cooper.”
Lord Provost Donald Wilson said: “We’ve been delighted to be involved in this project that has helped both support Edinburgh’s local craftsmen and make good use of our trees. As a Council we are always striving to look at new ways to encourage local business and this project has provided many local economic and environmental benefits. We look forward to working with the SFMA in the future.”
The Scottish Furniture Makers' Association is one of the largest and most diverse groups of bespoke furniture makers in Britain.
The aim of the SFMA is to promote the finest in craftsmanship and design through the work of its members, and to develop a wider public awareness of contemporary furniture design in Scotland.