​Artizan International (originally named Craft Aid International) was founded in 2013 by Susie Hart MBE, on returning to Harrogate after 10 years of life and work in Tanzania, East Africa, where she set up a social enterprise called Neema Crafts. This centre provides training and employment for people with disabilities who would otherwise be street begging to earn a living. Having started with three deaf trainees when she began, on a start-up budget of just £400, by the time she left the centre was employing over 120 people with a huge range of disabilities, all of whom are now able to support themselves and their families with dignity and pride.

Susie set up Artizan International on returning home, to pass on this model to other developing countries where people with disabilities are still living in poverty. She also found that differently-able people in the UK are often very socially isolated.

So, as an organisation we got started by running free weekly therapeutic crafts sessions for adults with disabilities in the community in Harrogate and Leeds. We also worked with long-term hospital inpatients at Harrogate and Ripon hospitals, and ran after school clubs for children with special needs too.

We create beautiful, joy-giving, artisan-made cards, gifts, jewellery and home accessories .
Visit our Oxford Street shop for fair-trade, high quality products, made ethically and mindfully in Ecuador and Peru.