A unique learning workshop/centre in traditional hand tool woodworking techniques was established in 2013 in Dalkeith, on the grounds of Newbattle Abbey Business Park, EH22 3LJ Midlothian, Scotland.

An abandoned building was given for rent from Newbattle Abbey College to be used as a fully functional woodworking workshop/centre. Yuri Karpov, mostly by himself and with some help from his students and close friends, totally renovated the building, replacing broken windows and glazing, securing the roof from leaks, installing electricity and lamps, repairing the front door, cleaning and painting the interior and exterior of the building, insulating the building from inside, placing toilet and washing facilities for the students as well as a wood burner to provide heating during the cold period. During the period of 3 years, Yuri Karpov converted an abandoned, insecure, filthy, wet and derelict building into a fully equipped woodworking workshop/centre (Golden Hands), spending a total of over £40.000 in real money and working hours .

After 4 years of work on the building and running business on an everyday basis ,Golden Hands, (Yuri Karpov) was told by the Newbattle Abbey College (EH22 3LJ) facility manager of the College that they wanted to rent out a part of the Golden Hands workshop space to someone else. Shortly after a verbal dispute, a letter from the lawyers of Newbattle Abbey College (Shepherd and Wedderburn) was fabricated, accusing Golden Hands (Yuri Karpov) of breaching the rent lease by: not completing the necessary renovations in the building in the first year, not paying the building insurance yearly fee, not paying a £34 electricity bill from March 2017 and not allowing College agents to enter the building. It was not difficult to provide (without a solicitor but with great help from a very good customer of Golden Hands') all the necessary documentation to the Sheriff on November 28th, at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, to prove that all the allegations had no credible ground at all.

Now the College has asked Golden Hands (Yuri Karpov) to vacate the building by the 1st of March 2018 as they do not want to renew the yearly lease. This brought Yuri Karpov and his business, Golden Hands, to a peril that will totally destroy this unique and important learning workshop/centre.

After searching for legal aid for weeks in: Citizen Advice Bureau, the Law Society of Scotland, the Faculty of Advocates, the Civil Legal Assistance, IHAB, Legal Aid Board etc., numerous local solicitors (who apparently do not have any specialist in the required field), local MP offices, First Minister, Labour, Conservative Party Scotland office, Party Head Office, local councillors and politicians etc., it become literally impossible to find any legal assistance to defend Golden Hands (Yuri Karpov) from this totally unacceptable and damaging behaviour by a charitable educational organisation such is Newbattle Abbey College.

Yuri Karpov established his very special workshop/centre as an important part of the local community, where unique and traditional woodworking skills can be learned and passed over to the new generation of craftsmen. It is a unique learning workshop where anyone can learn and enjoy creating wooden items, using only hand tools and own imagination. Currently, Golden Hands has 3 students undergoing a one-year Programme and a few woodworking commissions to create and restore special pieces of furniture.

Moreover, Golden Hands has restored and conserved more than a handful of very special antique furniture items in the past 4 years for the Newbattle Abbey College inherited collection from the Kerr family, providing the best possible level of quality.

Yuri Karpov is an immigrant who hasn't got any close relatives in Scotland or The UK. This business is the only source of income for him and his family. Moving such business in 2 months is literally impossible, it will create massive loses of current projects and Programmes with students. The only way to make the transition of Golden Hands workshop into a new area in a short period of time is to get some funding, therefore I decided to ask public in Scotland and in the UK to help me to rise the necessary sum to make this transition possible.