History of Activities of Things-To-Do

Things-To-Do has played a pivotal role in the art and craft business in the Middle East. For the past fourty years it has shaped up a craft culture by ensuring the supply of quality materials which people have used to create items of interest from their passion. Our materials were used in the past in hospitals for therapeutic purposes.

We wholeheartedly supported the age-old craft of pottery by stocking everything need for the craft. When local clay was not readily available due to environmental issues, we have ensured the supply of clay at a very affordable price to the A’Ali potters, schools and the craftspeople.

We have donated pottery equipment to the Bahrain Potters Society when it was first established. Also selected schools, Hope Institute etc. were given pottery moulds. A free kiln service was given by a technician from Potterycrafts, UK to the local schools where faulty kilns were repaired free of cost.

Donations

We have made generous donations in kind by way of useful materials to Salman Centre, Rehabilitation Centre and Hope Institute in the past. This included Primary Teaching Air Materials, Lampshade frames, tapestry wool, sudan wool, cane work materials, screen printing framesw and a Dryad standing loom to Beni Jamra.

We have been associated with the Craft Centre, Diraz wool project and Al Jasra Handicrafts by the supply of spinning and weaving looms at special prices.

We also sold the prints and calendars of Doors of Bahrain and postcards brought out by the Craft Centre to generate funds for the Centre.

We have been closely associated with the local artists and supported their various endeavours.

We have donated Daler-Rowney System 3 paints to the ‘World Peace Project in 2000’ a United Nations initiated project under the leadership of renowned local artist Mr. Abbas Al Mosawi.

We have supported the sole exhibition of Bahrain artist Khalid Tahmazi in the Bahrain Art Society.

Also we support the AWA yearly art exhibition and have supported the various activities of the SNEHA(an association for mentally challenged children).

We were at the forefront to impart quality art and craft instruction to the general public and supported the first art teaching centre. With this view in mind a number of craft demonstrations were held in the shop premises and an acclaimed British watercolour artist Terry Harrison was invited to Bahrain, through Daler-Rowney, to conduct a 2 week watercolour workshop in the Bahrain Art Society.

Things-To-Do have held two Art Competitions for their customers and their works were exhibited in the Bahrain Art Society.

We are currently supporting a project Visit to an Artist which will involve 15 minute videos and a book of, initially, 10 Bahraini artists and is a project of Ras Romman Youth Centre under the umbrella of the Najma Club.

We are currently supporting Al-Rahma Centre in Rifa which is a centre for mentally challenged people from the age of 16 to 35 years by giving them a budget to purchase art and craft materials for their ongoing programmes.

On the equestrian side Mrs. June Al-Saffar was heavily involved during the 70’s and the 80’s in the development and regulation of the local competition equestrian programmes and has supported these since that time in the form of sponsorship. She was the founder of the Bahrain Art Society.

It has always been one of the aims of Things-To-Do to inform and educate horse owners with regard to the use of equipment available and the welfare of their horses.

Things-To-Do translated 11 of an English language publishers titles covering subjects related to horse care and riding techniques which are currently given to our customers when making a minimum purchase. These have been very beneficial in increasing knowledge and understanding of those who own or handle horses.

We are currently offering 2 showjumping sponsorships for the 2015/16 season. It has always been our policy to stock the best quality/price equipment to ensure that these offer the highest safety and our horse additives are of the best pure ingredients. Hats and body protectors must be fitted before a customer is allowed to purchase these.

Prior to the opening of Things-To-Do when Mrs. Al-Saffar was working as a medical secretary in Salmania Hospital she produced the first charity greetings cards which were sold for Christmas and the Id and could be personalized for companies etc. She raised the princely sum of BD.800 from the sales of these cards(circa 1968/69)which was donated to the social services in the hospital.