Carpenter and wood carver Neil Machin at Begelly House Woodcarving Studio, Pembrokeshire, has been very pleased to employ one of our Syrian ESOL learners, Umar Alruzz for over a year now. In that time, Umar has worked on a wide range of wooden buildings and sculptures for the studio. Work undertaken includes log cabins, oriental carved panels, dragons and latticework for local Chinese restaurant Dragon Palace and Woodridge Hotel, Pentlepoir, and a large carved tree for Brooklands Nursing Home. Together the team have undertaken several pieces of work for Bluestone Resort, including bespoke awards for presentation evenings and most recently a 3m x 1.5m Santa’s sleigh!
The work undertaken is unique and traditional and uses more hand tools than most other trades, with each job being a ‘one-off’ which is designed, developed and delivered by Begelly House Woodcarving Studio. Neil feels that Umar has shown a natural ability to work with a wide range of tools and takes great pride in achieving a high standard of workmanship as well as an eagerness to learn new skills. All this, despite not being able to speak any English at all when he arrived in Wales on the Home Office sponsored VPRS scheme!
Neil was initially worried that Umar’s lack of English might be a barrier due to the work being so diverse, but that was not the case. This, he feels is in part due to Umar’s previous work/life in Syria as a farmer. Umar had a small farm that had all types of livestock in small numbers and grew many crops and fruit and vegetables. He is knowledgeable about animal husbandry, horticulture, and agriculture with a fix and mend approach to any problems that cropped up on his smallholding. He also has experience and expertise as a tiler. Neil feels that this broad-based knowledge, natural problem-solving ability and his willingness to help in any task has made Umar very employable, despite not speaking English at an advanced level.
Neil and the team at Begelly House Woodcarving Studio recognise that Umar and his family come from a culture that is so very different to this one in many ways. However, they have found that one important similarity that his Syrian family would have in common with majority of British families would be a big welcome, a friendly smile and an offer of tea or coffee and homemade cake when welcoming guests in their home.
Neil says:
"I really enjoy working with Umar, getting to know him and I have learned a lot from him. All our customers ask after him and he has become a big part of Begelly House Woodcarving Studio."
Umar Ulrazz