Packed with 766 boxes of tools and equipment, Container José includes 143 tool kits and 175 sewing/knitting machines. These will be delivered to secondary schools, community skills training centres, and correctional facilities, where the tools will help transform lives.
This container was named by Stepan, who has been a volunteer with us for over 15 years. Stepan named the container ‘José’ after his alias. Over the years, he found that people often struggled to pronounce his name correctly, ‘STYEH-pahn’ rather than STEF-uhn and so begun introducing himself as José instead.
Stepan joined Workaid around 2008. Since then, he has become a familiar face throughout the building. Whether he is cleaning and evaluating tools, whistling as he works, or sharing his knowledge with others, he is always willing to help.
Much of his work happens in his own workshop at home, where he takes tools to repair, particularly making new handles and restoring them so they can have a new life. Once restored, the tools are sold to raise funds for Workaid or to help raise awareness of our work.
Born and raised in the Czechoslovakia, Stepan spent most of his younger years there before moving to the UK in 1997. He first lived in Tewin Wood, then spent a year in Welwyn Garden City before settling in Luton where he lives now.
Throughout his life, Stepan has always worked multiple jobs. In the Czech Republic, he attended military college and worked as a paramedic. After moving to the UK, he became an occupational therapist, a profession he has now worked in for more than 15 years and continues in today. Because he is still in full-time employment, Stepan volunteers with us whenever his schedule allows, fitting in hours wherever he can.
Earlier in his career as an occupational therapist, he regularly carried out home visits. Over time, his role changed, and now he only visits people at home if they specifically request him.
Practical skills have been part of Stepan’s life since childhood. When he was young if he wanted to spend time with his friends, they would often do so by helping each other with chores or making things together. Those early experiences laid the foundations for the skills he still uses today. When he joined Workaid, he learnt from the volunteers— “often master craftsmen”—who started before him. They passed on practical knowledge that has stayed with him ever since, including how to assemble wooden planes correctly.
Stepan has always been fascinated by the history of tools. He is a member of the Tools and Trades History Society, which promotes the understanding of hand tools and traditional trades. He is particularly fascinated by natural sharpening stones, where they originated and how they are made.
Where others might see a broken or worn-out tool ready for disposal, Stepan sees an opportunity. He enjoys upcycling and repurposing tools, making new handles for items such as garden shears and finding uses for offcuts of wood that might otherwise be discarded.
Outside of work, Stepan enjoys outdoor sports including climbing, mountaineering and skiing. He has been climbing for more than 50 years and says that it is the mental control of fear and thrill involved that appeals to him. Over the years, he has also worked in climbing and skiing centres in Welwyn Garden City and Milton Keynes as well as freelancing abroad.
For Stepan, Workaid is about much more than restoring tools. He believes it gives people a sense of purpose and belonging, while also providing an opportunity to enrich their knowledge and skills. Just as importantly, it gives people the chance to share stories with one another and spend time in meaningful occupation.
