Chris Fisher RPT
UKMSA Patron
Chris Fisher RPT, also known as the Blind Woodturner is the UK’s only completely blind professional woodturner, and the first blind turner to be accepted onto the Register of Professional Turners.
The Blind Woodturner, lost his sight 11 years ago, in a matter of weeks, due to a rare condition called Toxoplasmosis. He taught himself to do the basics all over again whilst dealing with the onslaught of anxiety, hallucinations and muscle spasms that often accompany sight loss.
Through sheer determination and tenacity within four years, he had taken up woodturning.
Mike Jenn
UKMSA President
For the last 50 years Mike Jenn has sought innovative responses to community issues such as alternative education for children, community education, poverty relief, homelessness and unemployment. As teacher, trainer, project manager then director of Quaker Social Action Mike has demonstrated potential alternative ways to alleviate deprivation and disadvantage.
On formal retirement he founded and supervised the first community Men’s Shed in the UK and followed that with founding and leading UKMSA, the national support organisation for Men’s Sheds.
Based in London he is married with two children, keeps active and is both Shedding and tackling climate-change locally.