14 Aug 2026 Shop News

Skiing for a cause: Doug turns old skis into something special

A chance visit to The Kirkwood’s donation centre and eBay site in Mirfield inspired Douglas Rushworth to make a promise, one which, despite facing challenges of his own, he was determined to keep.

Douglas has donated a unique handmade bench to The Kirkwood, he created it using old skis which may otherwise have gone unused. He hopes the colourful creation can find a new home while raising vital funds to support The Kirkwood’s care for local people and families.

The idea for the unusual benches first came to Douglas, known to Doug by his friends many years ago during a skiing trip to France.
Doug said: “I saw a bench made from old skis outside a mountain restaurant. It was very rickety and poorly built, but I thought it was quite a practical use of old skis. I decided to make one that was stronger and perhaps a little more stylish and colourful.”

Doug built his first bench using his own old skis, which had been gathering dust, alongside cast iron ends salvaged from an old garden bench.

He explained: “I purposely ‘over-built’ my first bench using more heavy duty nuts and bolts along with cast iron bench ends. The wood on the original bench had rotted away over the years, so I stripped back the cast iron, re-primed and repainted it with several coats of enamel paint. The skis for the first bench were my old skis from previous years. After that, I was given old, used skis by a long established ski shop in Pontefract.”

But there is a much more personal reason behind Dougs' passion for making the benches. After suffering two strokes and two transient ischaemic attacks (TIAs), he spent ten years away from skiing as he worked on his rehabilitation and recovery.

Eventually, he was able to return to something he loved, he said: “I wanted to do something to say thank you to the people who helped me get back on a pair of skis after my two strokes and two TIAs. I had a ten year lay off due to my post stroke physical condition, so being able to get back on my skis again meant a lot to me.”

Doug's connection with The Kirkwood began when he visited to drop off a donation. While there, something caught his eye, a collection of old skis.

He said: “My connection with The Kirkwood started with me dropping something off at the donation point. While I was there, I noticed there were some old skis which were probably difficult to sell. I was given several pairs of them by the depot manager and, in return, I promised to build a bench for the charity.”

Doug fully intended to fulfil that promise, but his continuing rehabilitation and other circumstances meant it took longer than he had initially hoped.

He explained: “Due to several events during my rehabilitation following my strokes and other issues, a considerable period of time elapsed before I was able to keep my promise and deliver a ski bench to The Kirkwood.”

Now that promise has been fulfilled, Doug hopes his creation will not only raise money but also become a colourful addition to somebody’s home or garden.
“Hopefully the bench I’ve built and donated will raise some money for a very worthy cause and brighten up someone’s garden or man cave for the future,” he said.
“I understand that The Kirkwood helps people who are going through the inevitable pain of losing someone and supports them through incredibly difficult times. I just wanted to give something that could hopefully raise some funds and increase people’s awareness of what The Kirkwood does.”

And Doug is already thinking about putting his skills to good use again: “Hopefully I’ll build some more benches in the future, and I’ll happily donate another if it helps The Kirkwood raise funds for its cause.”

Gary Stancliffe, The Kirkwood’s Online Sales Manager, said: “It was fantastic to welcome Doug to The Kirkwood and finally see the finished bench. It’s such a creative way of giving old skis a new lease of life, and you can see just how much time, care and effort has gone into making it.

“We’re incredibly grateful to Doug for keeping his promise and choosing to donate the bench to The Kirkwood. It’s a completely unique item and we hope it will help us raise vital funds to support the care we provide for local people and their families.

“What makes the donation even more special is the story behind it. Doug has faced his own challenges, so for him to use his skills and experience to give something back is really inspiring. We can’t thank him enough for his generosity.”

From a collection of unwanted skis to a handcrafted bench, Doug's donation is a wonderful example of how a little creativity, determination and generosity can give something old a completely new purpose, while helping The Kirkwood continue to support people across the local community.