Building The PIECES Project: Our Story, Our Impact, and Our Next Big Adventure

At The PIECES Project, we are incredibly proud of the community we have built. But like all good things, it started with a simple idea, a passion for making, and a desire to bridge a critical gap. Whether you are a parent, a teacher, a business sponsor, or just someone cheering us on, we want to share the honest story of where we came from, how this social enterprise started, and where we are heading next.

The Spark & The Missing Piece

Our founder, Sami, is a 34-year-old product designer, maker, and workshop instructor. If you know Sami, you know her passions. She is driven by sustainability, enterprise, and empowering people with practical skills.

Sami started her own bespoke product design business at the age of 25, creating unique, sustainable products for events and businesses using reclaimed wood and digital fabrication. Alongside running her business, she has spent over 10 years working in education, teaching people of all ages how to turn their ideas into tangible products.  

But during that time, she noticed a massive gap: young people were making incredible things, but nobody was teaching them how to turn those creative ideas into real business opportunities. They were making products, but they weren't learning how to sell them. Sami dreamt of running workshops that taught young people how to build real skills and make money from their creations.  

A Chance Meeting & A Shared Vision

In 2021, while looking for waste materials to recycle for her bespoke products, Sami met Ian from Morley Glass. Morley Glass was generously donating wooden boxes and sheets to keep materials out of landfill.  

While filling her car with reclaimed wood, Sami and Ian got chatting. She shared her dream of helping young people learn practical and enterprise skills. Ian, a huge advocate for youth empowerment, loved the vision. A few months later, Morley Glass offered to sponsor the very first workshop!

Our First Challenge & Strategic Impact Partner

In February 2022, our first Creative Enterprise Challenge was born. In that first year, we ran 14 week-long workshops for 140 young people, provided for free or heavily subsidised. They designed unique products, wrote business plans, pitched to real business owners, and built unstoppable confidence.  

Since that day, Morley Glass has been our Strategic Impact Partner and core Business Sponsor. Their belief in us laid the foundation for everything we do today, proving the incredible impact businesses can make when they invest in the next generation. We truly wouldn't be able to do what we do without them.  

Growing the Team & Making it Official

By the beginning of 2023, the team had grown! Julie joined as a Creative Coach, and Charlie came on board as a Creative Assistant. Between February 2022 and December 2023, we delivered our Creative Enterprise Challenge workshop during school holidays and during term time to SEND schools. During this time, we helped over 400 young people. But we knew we needed to reach more.  

In 2024, we expanded our outreach to work directly with schools and youth organisations. Today, we work with over 15 schools across Leeds and Bradford and have helped over 4,000 young people!

In June 2024, we reached another massive milestone: we officially became The PIECES Project CIC (Community Interest Company), cementing our commitment as a not-for-profit social enterprise. With our new official status came a brilliant support system. We brought on a dedicated team of three amazing Trustees who help guide our mission and support Sami behind the scenes.  

Expanding Our Offering

As our team grew, so did our workshops! While our Creative Enterprise Challenge is still our flagship programme, we realised we had so much more to offer. We diversified to meet the needs of every group, introducing a wide range of workshops. Find out more.

The Double-Decker Dream & Partnering with CATCH

May 2025 brought our biggest physical milestone yet: launching our own Creative Studio housed in a converted double-decker bus! You can even take a virtual tour!

We are incredibly proud to be based at CATCH in Harehills. CATCH is an award-winning youth and community organisation that provides a safe, supportive space for young people to thrive. While they run amazing free youth sessions every Wednesday night, we partner with them to provide free creative workshops alongside their activities. This gives local young people a calm space to relax and feel the mental health benefits of getting creative (plus, we run extra sessions during the school holidays!)

So, What’s Next?

We are on a mission to expand our impact! We are looking to:

• Work with even more schools to deliver our enterprise and wellbeing programmes.

• Run more creative workshops from our double-decker studio at CATCH.

• Partner with more forward-thinking businesses as sponsors to help expand our outreach.

  
  

Do you want to be part of our story? Whether you want to book a workshop, sponsor a youth programme, or volunteer your time, we would love to hear from you. Get in touch today and let's make a difference together!