What MAKING FUTURES CIC does

Making Futures CIC is a UK Community Interest Company (social enterprise) founded in October 2020 by Debbie and Pete Tomkies, operating as a two-person team from its base at A4 Studios & AIR Gallery in Altrincham. The company delivers City & Guilds accredited distance learning programmes in handknitting design — an Introductory programme (£300, 30 hours) and a Foundation programme (£900, 120 hours) — built on professionally produced video tutorials, photo-illustrated written materials, a private student forum, live Zoom sessions, and one-to-one tutor support. Accreditation is provided through an affiliate-centre arrangement with Artybird Carnforth, enabling internationally recognised qualifications to be issued without in-house regulatory infrastructure.

The business operates four revenue streams: accredited educational programmes (one-time fees), in-person textile and craft workshops (knitting, crochet, felting, dyeing, screenprinting, sewing, mixed media) delivered at its Altrincham studio and partner venues, creative enterprise support and business mentoring for aspiring creative entrepreneurs facing barriers to traditional employment, and bespoke pattern/article commissions undertaken by Debbie Tomkies. Customers span individual hobbyist learners (primary segment, paying via Stripe, PayPal, Klarna, or Trustly), UK schools (Sale Grammar, St John's), museums (Manchester Museum, Leeds City Museums), community organisations (Renew Wellbeing), and government (Manchester City Council).

The go-to-market is community-led, relying on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Vimeo), blog content, student testimonials, word-of-mouth referrals, and physical presence at events such as The Knitting & Stitching Show. The company cross-promotes with sister company DT Craft & Design, an online craft supplies retailer established in 2005/2006, sharing founders and customer base. As a CIC, the entity is asset-locked and reinvests profits into bursary places and community programmes, structurally limiting capital returns and constraining growth velocity.

Name

MAKING FUTURES CIC

Legal name

Making Futures CIC

Website

https://makingfutures.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Making Futures CIC is a UK-based social enterprise founded in 2020 offering City & Guilds accredited distance learning in handknitting design, in-person textile workshops, and creative enterprise support, operated by two founders and reinvesting profits into bursaries and community programmes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Creative Arts Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Crafts & DIY (Paper, Fiber, Wood, Resin, DIY Projects) (EDAAAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Textile & Fiber Arts Classes (Weaving, Knitting, Embroidery, Dyeing) (THAJAKAB), Arts & Crafts Workshops (Painting, Pottery, Ceramics, Sculpture) (THAJAKAA)

Keywords

• Knitting design courses
• Creative arts education
• Textile craft workshops
• Distance learning programmes
• Creative business mentoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Sale

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. City & Guilds Accredited Educational Programmes: Distance learning programmes in handknitting design sold as one-time fees. Introductory programme priced at £300; Foundation programme priced at £900. Both offer optional PayPal pay-in-3 instalments at no additional cost. Students can study purely for enjoyment or submit work for formal accreditation.
2. Textile & Craft Workshops: In-person workshops delivered at A4 Studios in Altrincham, at community venues, and at partner locations (schools, colleges, community groups, third sector organisations). Workshops cover knitting, crochet, felting, dyeing, screenprinting, sewing, and mixed media.
3. Creative Enterprise Support and Business Mentoring: Business mentoring, training, and creative development services for individuals looking to start creative enterprises. Targeted at those facing barriers to traditional employment. Services include signposting, help finding studio space, and equipment use.
4. Pattern Design Commissions: Debbie Tomkies undertakes pattern design commissions for knitwear and crochet, as well as article and video tutorial commissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Making Futures CIC is a UK social enterprise that delivers City & Guilds accredited distance learning programmes in handknitting design (30-hour Introductory and 120-hour Foundation), in-person textile and craft workshops (knitting, crochet, felting, dyeing, screenprinting, sewing, mixed media) for community groups, schools, museums and third sector organisations, and creative enterprise support and business mentoring aimed at aspiring creative entrepreneurs facing barriers to traditional employment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Introductory Creative Studies – Knitting programme 30-hour City & Guilds accredited distance learning programme in handknitting design, priced at £300, providing one year of video access plus professionally produced video tutorials, comprehensive illustrated handouts, live Zoom tutorials, one-to-one tutor calls, and a closed student forum; can be studied purely for enjoyment or with formal accreditation.
• Foundation Creative Studies – Knitting programme 120-hour City & Guilds accredited distance learning programme in handknitting design, priced at £900, providing 18 months of video access, structured curriculum, one-to-one tutor calls, live Zoom sessions, coffee shop catch-ups, a private Facebook student group, and comprehensive written materials, delivered over 12 months.
• Textile & Craft Workshops In-person workshops covering knitting, crochet, felting, dyeing, screenprinting, sewing, and mixed media, delivered at A4 Studios in Altrincham and at partner venues including schools, colleges, museums, community groups, and third sector organisations across the UK, including Arts Award and Artsmark accredited delivery.
• Creative Enterprise Support and Business Mentoring Business mentoring, training, and creative development services aimed at individuals looking to start or grow home-based creative enterprises, particularly those facing barriers to traditional employment (disability, illness, caring responsibilities); includes signposting, help finding studio space, and access to equipment.
• Make, Sell, be Well! 8-week course targeted at women looking to start or grow a creative business, delivered as part of the Making Futures creative enterprise support offering.
• Pattern Design Commissions Bespoke pattern design commissions for knitwear and crochet, plus article and video tutorial commissions undertaken personally by Debbie Tomkies for clients in the craft and textile industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• Creative industries are a significant contributor to the economy, making creative self-employment a valuable and potentially very successful career choice.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• Artybird CarnforthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaking Futures delivers City & Guilds accredited programmes as an affiliate centre of Artybird Carnforth. Artybird provides the accreditation framework and oversight, enabling Making Futures to offer internationally recognised City & Guilds qualifications in handknitting design.
• A4 Studios & AIR GallerycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaking Futures rents studio space at A4 Studios & AIR Gallery in Altrincham. This space is used for in-person City & Guilds study days, workshops, and craft social groups. The partnership enables hybrid delivery combining distance learning with face-to-face sessions.
• DT Craft & DesigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaking Futures is the latest addition to the DT Craft & Design family. Both companies share founders Debbie and Pete. DT Craft & Design (dtcrafts.co.uk) is an online retail business selling craft supplies. The two companies cross-promote and Making Futures courses are advertised via DT Craft & Design. DT Craft & Design arose from Debbie's first book, Hand-dyed Yarn Craft Projects.
• Renew Wellbeing AltrinchamminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMaking Futures delivers Craft & Chat sessions at Renew Wellbeing in Altrincham. These free community sessions provide craft activities and social connection as part of the 5 Ways to Wellbeing initiative. Sessions include polymer clay jewellery-making and are held every other week.
• Crafts Council / Arts Council EnglandmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerDebbie Tomkies is a Craft Club trained practitioner — a programme run by the Crafts Council and Arts Council England. She is also a registered Arts Award Centre and Arts Award practitioner (Bronze and Silver levels), and can deliver Artsmark learning programmes. Arts Council support underpins her professional credentials.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• LoveCrafts: Large online craft supplies retailer (yarns, fabrics, patterns) with significant educational content, free patterns, and a community platform; overlaps with Making Futures' DT Craft & Design sister business and serves the same hobbyist customer base with a much broader catalogue and free learning resources.
• Domestika: Global online creative education marketplace offering paid craft and design courses from independent professionals; a broader and lower-priced substitute for Making Futures' handknitting design programmes, with a much larger catalogue and international reach.
• Skillshare: Subscription-based online learning platform with deep craft and creative arts libraries (knitting, crochet, textile design); competes for the same self-directed learner audience as Making Futures' distance learning programmes but at a dramatically lower price point and with vastly broader content breadth.

Direct peers

• WeAreKnitters: Globally recognised knitting brand selling kits, yarns, and video-based learning content for handknitters; competes for the same international hobbyist cohort as Making Futures' distance learning programmes, with a similar education-plus-supplies commercial model.
• Artybird Carnforth: The City & Guilds accreditation affiliate through which Making Futures delivers its accredited programmes; Artybird itself runs comparable City & Guilds handknitting and creative arts distance learning programmes with personal tutor support, making it the closest direct competitor and operational reference point.
• Sew Over It: UK-based craft education brand offering in-person workshops (in London) and online sewing and dressmaking courses with structured curricula and tutor support; the most direct UK analogue to Making Futures' hybrid workshop-plus-distance-learning model, albeit focused on sewing rather than knitting.

Others

• Etsy: Global online marketplace for handmade craft goods and digital patterns, including knitting patterns; the dominant destination for the aspiring creative entrepreneurs in Making Futures' enterprise support programme, and a structural enabler of the home-based creative businesses the social enterprise helps launch.
• Ravelry: Free global social network and pattern library for knitters and crocheters; not a direct competitor for paid education but shapes the expectations of the handknitting community and competes for the discretionary time and learning budget of Making Futures' target customer.
• The Knitting & Stitching Show: Major UK trade and consumer event at which Debbie Tomkies tutors through the Learning Curve programme; an ecosystem partner and indirect peer in the handknitting education space, with which Making Futures shares customer acquisition channels.

Emerging players

• Crafty Fox: UK-based independent craft marketplace and community supporting designer-makers; adjacent to Making Futures' mission of supporting creative enterprise among people facing barriers to traditional employment, with a different commercial model (marketplace vs. education).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/making_futures
• YouTubevimeo.com/makingfutures
• Facebookfacebook.com/makingfuturescic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/making-futures
• Instagraminstagram.com/makingfuturescic
• Pinterestpinterest.com/debbietomkies

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MAKING FUTURES CIC