Alex Cousins, Wolven Crafts and Ed's Workshop: gamer on a roll with startup support

Alex Cousins makes dice trays from reclaimed materials. Every one is different, they can be engraved or embossed and feature bespoke materials and finishing.

I popped down to Ed’s Workshop, a wonderful workplace and community of makers in Sheffield to meet Alex and learn more about his new business, Wolven Crafts.

He tells me how, when playing Dungeons and Dragons, dice often fall off the table – so a dice tray is invaluable. He's used a £500 grant to help bring his business vision to life.

Alex successfully applied for funding from the SWEF Enterprise Fund at South Yorkshire Community Foundation (SYCF). This enabled him to use the fantastic facilities at Ed's Workshop, which includes embedded support and is a family business.

Alex is joined in this interview by his mentor Gayle Brogan from Opportunity Sheffield. Gayle has been working with Alex, who is autistic, since November 2023 in her role as a senior project support officer.

Kim of Ed's Workshop joins us too. I was blown away by the wonderful atmosphere and facilities there.

Alex also covers his prototyping and how a local gaming shop, Patriot Games Sheffield, has been so supportive and helpful to him in testing his dice trays.

What next?

• Listen to the episode and let me know what you think
• Visit the South Yorkshire Community Foundation website, https://www.sycf.org.uk/
• Learn more about Opportunity Sheffield, the employment and skills service in Sheffield City Council, https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/campaigns/opportunity-sheffield 
• Visit the Ed's Workshop website, https://edsworkshop.co.uk/
• Contact me to nominate yourself or someone else as a potential guest for this show, telling me why there's a good fit (our audience: curious entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs running businesses which make a positive impact for people, places or planet. Our priorities: inspiration and practical, actionable tips).

This is episode 398 of the Business Live radio show, for curious entrepreneurs and social entrepreneurs. Thanks for listening to the programme and to Sheffield Live! for broadcasting us on DAB and FM radio.