Our Meet the Team feature is a great way for us to introduce you to the Fine Cell Work team. To continue the series, we caught up with Helsio, Fine Cell Work's Tech & Sales Lead, to learn more about his role at the charity. 

I've been with Fine Cell Work for almost six years now.

I currently work within the Sales team, however, I've previously worked within the Production, Commissions and Design departments - I'm a seasoned all-rounder!

A typical day can be quite varied!

We start the week with a sales team catch up, looking at the previous week's figures, and which designs have been our strongest sellers. On Tuesdays, we have a regular meeting with the whole team. As the chair of this meeting, I’m responsible for making sure it runs smoothly, and yes, sometimes this means (gently) redirecting everyone's attention to the agenda, and ensuring that any tangents are kept short!

It's my responsibility to prepare the stock for any Fine Cell Work sales event, which involves meeting with various teams to ensure we have the right products (in the right numbers) for the right audience. Once we've decided what to sell, I head to the warehouse with list of stock to pack up.  Whilst this may seem a mammoth chore, it’s quite nice – it allows me to see stitchers' beautiful work up close, and to really appreciate the amount of time, skill and effort that goes into every piece. I enjoy working alongside the Open The Gate apprentices throughout the process - their input and help with getting stock packed - and unpacked after event - is invaluable. 

As you might be able to tell from my mug...

...I'm also Fine Cell Work's internal IT person, which is another interesting and varied part of my job. Sometimes a particular piece of software may not be working, other times the server has gone down, and sometimes I'm there to troubleshoot some of the more common issues. Yes, sometimes the issues are solved by 'switching it off and back on again', and no, I don’t know why this always seems to work!

The most rewarding thing about my job...

...is working with so many wonderful people: whether that be members of staff, apprentices or volunteers, they are all amazing and make the job worth it.

Helsio's highlights: The Stitchers' Garden, Fine Cell Work's Christmas Fair, & the digital embroidery machine

I have quite a few favourite moments to date...

...but there are a few standout highlights. The first that comes to mind is being part of the 2022 Chelsea Flower Show with The Stitchers' Garden. I loved attending the Flower Show - it was great to talk to a broad range of people about Fine Cell Work, and I enjoyed seeing all of the beautifully designed gardens. It's exciting to be part of the Chelsea Flower Show again this year too. The Chelsea Pensioner's iconic scarlet coats have been refashioned by Fine Cell Work stitchers into cushions that will feature in the London Square Chelsea Pensioners Garden - I can't wait to see the garden! 

My first Fine Cell Work Christmas Fair was also a highlight. At that point, I had been at Fine Cell Work for less than six  months, and I remember on the day of the event there was a sudden change in pace as everyone pulled together to make it happen. As soon as the stock was delivered to the venue, everyone on the team worked hard to get the stock out on the tables, making sure everything was displayed beautifully. The events are so much fun! 

Finally, I really enjoyed learning how to operate the embroidery machine in our Battersea workshop and passing that knowledge onto the apprentices on our Open The Gate programme. Soon after I joined Fine Cell Work, the pandemic happened and, as a result, our prison workshop - where all of our machine embroidered items are made - had to close. I spent many hours during the first lockdown researching and learning how to operate the machine and the software required. I managed to successfully complete an outstanding commission, and enjoyed the process so much that I took ownership of a small batch of machine embroidered items, including the Fig Napkins. Once lockdown had lifted, in addition to training many of our apprentices to use the machine, I helped to develop the associated Digital Embroidery Open College Network accredited course.

I'd like anyone reading this to know...

...what an incredible charity Fine Cell Work is. The work done both in prison and post-release is needed in a society that shuns people with convictions. Fine Cell Work helps individuals to rebuild their confidence through the simple act of giving them a second chance, empowering change and a sense of self-worth, showing that they can be valued members of society - and that they matter.

It’s so difficult to pick a favourite product from such interesting and wonderful designs...

...so I'm going to have to choose more than one! I really like the Blithfield Circles Cushion - the simplicity of the circles contrasts with the intricate back stitch and running stitch, creating the illusion that they go on forever. I also love the William Morris Society Flowers Cushion, as I had a role in adapting the original artwork by designer William Morris. 

The small items are lovely too. I particularly like the Hollyhocks Lavender Bag, because they are one of the first items that a stitcher works on, and it's amazing to see the quality produced by a beginner stitcher. They are a Fine Cell Work staple, and you'll see them at every event, especially if you follow the scent - I was given one three years ago, and you can still smell the lavender! 

Oh, one last thing... I'll be abseiling down the Llyod's building in London on July 10th...

I love to go rock climbing in my spare time, so it makes sense that I would take on this challenge to raise funds for Fine Cell Work and our partner charity, The Upholders' Charity Bob Fowlds Student Bursary scheme. I do need some encouragement though, so if you're able to sponsor me, please head over to my fundraising page! Gulp! 

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