Meet your maker – Ashley
Just like the right tool for the right job, our team is the perfect fit. From the skilled hand that sketches our next innovative design, to the pair that carefully carry and pack our orders at the start of a journey, it’s teamwork that makes everything we do happen.
A day in the Tom Raffield lighting workshop must run like a well steamed machine, and our Lighting Workshop Coordinator, Ashley, works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure this. We asked Ash some questions to discover how his working days unfold and why Cornwall is so special to him…
TR: How long have you worked at Tom Raffield?
AA: “I started back in the summer of 2014, making it almost 8 years! My first job role at Tom Raffield was Warehouse Apprentice so it’s changed a great deal since the start of my career here. I trained for years enabling me to handcraft a plethora of steam bent lighting designs; now I manage the lighting team, supporting their development and growth”.
TR: What is your average day at Tom Raffield?
AA: “My days are very structured and organised to ensure that my tasks, as well as my teams run smoothly. I start each day ensuring each member of my team has a making schedule that will keep them productive, challenge them and allow their skills to thrive. With this in place I head to a meeting with our logistics team- I'll let them know which lighting designs are scheduled to be leaving the workshop that particular day, based on what was finished the previous. After this I usually spend some time with our dedicated finishing team, catching up with which designs are ready to be packed and sent to their new forever homes.
If we have any large orders in the pipeline, I will make sure all parts and pieces are stocked up, ready for our talented team. Alongside this, I will spend time training any new members of the team, teaching the new techniques necessary to master upcoming lighting designs. Once the day is prepped and planned the crafting begins…”
TR: What is the best skill you have learnt from your time at Tom Raffield?
AA: “I have really grown to love problem solving and people management in my time at Tom Raffield. These skills have helped me grow as a team leader and put together a strong workshop team that proudly craft such beautiful pieces”.
TR: What is your favourite product or range to craft?
AA: “From day one – the No. 1 Pendant. Back when I started, the No. 1 Pendant was one of the hardest designs to craft, and I set it as a challenge for myself to master. I just couldn’t wrap my head around how Tom made making this remarkable piece look so effortless! Now I can proudly say I am one of the few people within our team that can consistently craft a No. 1 Pendant – the light will always hold a special place in my heart”.
TR: Why is sustainability important to you?
AA: “Protecting our planet became an extremely prominent part of my life when I moved to Cornwall aged 12. I fell in love with its beauty, even during the bleaker Winter months, the stunning landscapes would still take my breath away. As I grew older, I learned about the devastating impact we as humans have on our world. I want to help preserve the beauty that stole my heart at age 12 - I would love to make future generations proud of the decisions we make right now”.
TR: What do you like to do after work?
AA: “Relax! Depending on the weather, my fiancé and I will go on walks around the North Coast, or we will stay cosy inside, reading or playing video games. In the future I hope to be spending all my free time renovating our first home – which I can’t wait for”.
TR: Where is your favourite place in Cornwall?
AA: “I grew up around an area called Trewellard, on the North Coast, so I’m very fond of that part of Cornwall. Equally, Kenidjack Valley, Cape Cornwall and Botallack will always be favourite places for me”.
TR: What did you want to be when you were younger?
AA: “I either wanted to be a historian or to follow in my dad’s footsteps as a builder – two very different jobs! Since I make things on a daily basis, and in turn teach people how to craft designs, in my eyes I did manage to fulfil my younger self’s dream of becoming a builder”.
Thank you Ash for taking us through your role in the busy Tom Raffield workshop.
Posted: 17.03.22
Updated: 17.03.22