Inside The Old Department Store - June Recap
June has been full of connection, creativity, and community here at The Old Department Store – and we’re so grateful for everyone who’s been part of it.
As we look ahead to July, we’re excited to share what’s coming up: new workshops, shared meals, and more ways to get involved, learn something new, or simply enjoy time together.
There’s always something happening here – take a look at what’s in store and come and be part of it.
Our Sanctuary Space came to life as we hosted our very first Sew With Us workshop, led by Remnant Revolution. We had the joy of welcoming 16 women into the space to learn new skills, share stories, and create together – a beautiful beginning to this new creative series.
Using saved fabrics, everyone learned to sew their own cushion cover – giving new life to old materials and creating something meaningful to take home.
A huge thank you to all who came along. These events are what bring The Old Department Store to life.
We are continuing our Sew With Us series in the Sanctuary this July, with two more creative workshops lined up and ready for you to be part of. For details on how to join these workshops, see the Upcoming Events section below.
It was great hosting The Cirencester Workbench session in our Sanctuary
The Cirencester Workbench provides a welcoming drop-in space to get help and guidance on any practical home project over a cup of tea. The group, all volunteers, do not charge for their services. The team includes a few of the volunteers from the Cirencester Repair Café, so table-top fixes can usually be tackled at these sessions. Additionally, they always have an ever-changing collection of pre-loved garments as part of their mini-Clothes Swap - bring one, take one!
We wanted to say a big thank you to the group from Ecclesiastical who we enjoyed welcoming into our space. Your help in refreshing the stairwell up to the Sanctuary has made such a difference—it’s brighter, cleaner, and more inviting. Thank you for lending your time, energy, and impact to the work we’re doing here.
At The Old Department Store, daily rhythms are woven into our workday, helping to nurture whole-person wellbeing on site. One of the daily rhythms is our morning ‘9:10’ gathering, where everyone on site comes together to share good news, hear business updates, and take a moment to re-focus and re-energise before the day begins.
This month during 9:10s, our team has been exploring the concept of ‘Community,’ engaging in thoughtful questions and light-hearted activities all which bring us together as a team and help friendships grow.
Another rhythm we encourage is sharing meals together.
This month, we’ve hosted 8 team breakfasts, giving people from different businesses the chance to catch up and make friends before the busy day begins. These breakfasts fuel us for our work activities which we have the unique opportunity to carry out in this building.
If you’re interested in news, updates, events, and activities from specific businesses in our building, you can subscribe to their mailing lists. At the moment, The Long Table and Kids Stuff have active newsletters—so be sure to stay connected with them.
Learn more about the other businesses that share our building, including The Home Remedy, The Bike Drop, and a partnership business Different Kind—each contributing unique value and making a meaningful impact in their own way.
Thank you for taking the time to read our July newsletter. We’re excited to keep sharing glimpses of life at The Old Department Store—stories of what’s happening, what’s growing, and the many hands and hearts that make this place what it is.
We couldn’t do this without your thoughts and feedback so do continue to share those with us and follow us on Facebook for our regular news and updates.
See you soon at The Old Department Store!