A project supporting homeless people in Sefton is using upcycling and furniture restoration training to enable homeless and unemployed people to get back into their own accommodation and gain valuable employment skills.
The ‘Upcycle It (Sefton) Project is run by the Emmaus Merseyside charity, and has been supported by a £8,000 Community Fund Grant from the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) and Veolia Community Fund to set up the project which produces a range of upcycled and restored furniture to be sold in their Superstore in Sefton.
The project is currently training six individuals including Margi Allen who said: “The Up-Cycle It project is great. We get training in how to change old shabby pieces of furniture into attractive articles again. We improve our skills whilst things that might be thrown away can be given a new life! Everyone wins!”
Nigel Mellor, Chair of Board of Trustees for Emmaus in Merseyside said: “The training will give our volunteers even more useful skills which we need to reuse and recycle more household items donated by the public. Many of the volunteers are unemployed so we hope the skills training and volunteer experience will ultimately help them get back into employment. The project also helps to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.”
Cllr Graham Morgan, Chairperson of MRWA said: “We’re pleased to be supporting a project that proves its value by not only improving people’s lives – but also diverting furniture from landfill.
Carl Beer, MRWA Chief Executive said: “It’s great to see items that would have been thrown away get a ‘second life’.”
The project is running for the next three months – with the hope that the training will continue and will be integrated into the operations of the Superstore.
All upcycled furniture is available to buy from the Emmaus Superstore, 38 Sandy Road, Seaforth, Sefton, L21 3TW
Tel: 0151 9281588, Opening hours Mon – Sat, 10.00am – 4.00 pm.
For media enquiries please contact Colette Gill, Tel: 0151 255 2527 [email protected]
Notes for editors
(i) The MRWA and Veolia Community Fund was open to community and voluntary sector groups, not for profit social enterprises and schools in Merseyside and Halton.
(ii) Emmaus Merseyside – ‘Upcycle It’ (Sefton) Project: ‘Upcycle It’ is about giving homeless people the skills to design and make attractive furniture and household accessories from waste otherwise destined for landfill. Customers at the Emmaus superstore in Seaforth will be buying the fashionable upcycled products created by volunteers.
(iii) MRWA operates (via a contract with Veolia Environmental Services) 14 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC’s) for householders in the Merseyside area wishing to recycle and dispose of their own waste.
(iv) Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority is responsible for the disposal of municipal waste on Merseyside. Established in 1986 following the abolition of Merseyside County Council, it is a statutory Authority that works with all the local authorities on Merseyside – Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. MRWA takes a lead in advocating recycling, waste minimisation and safe and effective disposal of waste for Merseyside residents.