Rockingham Times

The Chamber Collaborative of Greater Portsmouth issued the following announcement on March 23.

DISCLAIMER: The following content wasn't created by, but is being shared by the Chamber Collaborative on behalf of a member.

Scholarships available for Port City Makerspace

Expands offerings to be more inclusive regardless of ability to pay.

 PORTSMOUTH—The Port City Makerspace - Portsmouth's cooperative workspace - is partnering with BankProv to roll out their new "Scholarship Program".  The Scholarship Program offers free Makerspace memberships & classes to a limited number of applicants.

While memberships typically range from $50-$80 per month, participants of the Scholarship Program will receive three months of membership at no cost.  In addition, participants will receive class tickets to two Makerspace-hosted classes of their choosing.  Interested parties can submit a brief application at www.portcitymakerspace.com/scholarship, or at the Makerspace at 68 Morning St., Portsmouth.  Applications are accepted on a rolling basis and typically processed within two weeks of submission. Information relating to membership, class programs, and the organization can be viewed at www.portcitymakerspace.com.

 "This really decreases the barrier to participate at our community workshop," says General Manager Alex Nunn.  "Offering free memberships helps toward our goals of inclusivity - we can make our offerings available to anyone, regardless of their ability to pay membership fees".

The nonprofit's programs revolve around their shared workshops, which focus on the arts & crafts of woodworking, metalworking, textiles & fiber arts, automotive & bicycle repair, and much more.  Structured like a gym, subscribing members gain shared access to the workspaces and are free to use them for personal or professional pursuits.  Classes are also offered, focused on educating the public on safe and productive use of tools & equipment.  "Access to the workspaces here enhance everyone's ability to craft, repair, make, and exercise their creative spirit," says Nunn.  "Our members use our workspace for personal pursuits - like knitting a quilt or making a coffee table - or to run a small business - like Port City Mopeds or Dan the Sign Man".

 “The last few years have been tough on businesses and individuals alike, so when we were given the opportunity to partner with The Port City Makerspace to support their scholarship program it was an easy decision,” said Dave Mansfield, CEO of BankProv. “The scholarship program will give more folks within our community an opportunity to explore and pursue their creative aspirations and it’s an honor to support such a worthwhile endeavor.”

 The Makerspace's mission is to provide a welcoming and inclusive community workspace that provides tools, knowledge, and a collaborative culture to inspire the artist and maker in everyone. 

BankProv, legally operating as The Provident Bank, is a subsidiary of Provident Bancorp, Inc.  NASDAQ: PVBC). BankProv is a future-ready commercial bank for corporate clients,  specializing in offering adaptive and technology-first banking solutions to niche markets, including cryptocurrency, renewable energy, fin-tech and enterprise value lending with a focus on search fund loans. We are committed to offering state-of-the-art APIs (application programming interfaces) for all business clients and BaaS (Bank as a Service) partners. Through our offerings, BankProv insures 100% of deposits through a combination of insurance provided by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and the Depositors Insurance Fund (DIF). For more information, visit bankprov.com.

Original source can be found here.