The projects are all winning recipients of funding from the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority and Veolia’s Community Fund for 2015-2016. The Fund is about investing in great projects that will benefit communities across Merseyside and Halton, and which have the potential to recycle, upcycle and prevent waste, save money and avoid landfill. Most projects will receive around £10,000 of funding
The funding benefits individuals and communities by providing training opportunities, making environmental improvements, supporting isolated or vulnerable people and helping households struggling on low income. All of the projects supported represent a real range of great ideas and show just how creative people can be when it comes to thinking of new ways of encouraging people to change their waste disposal habits.
MRWA Chairperson, Councillor Graham Morgan said: “The Community Fund is about reducing and preventing the amount of household waste we all produce but, in supporting these groups, will this year directly support whole communities and help everyone, from homeless people to vulnerable families, as well.”
MRWA Chief Executive Carl Beer said: “This year’s Fund will help some fantastic projects and make a real difference to the waste disposal habits of Merseyside homes.”
SUCCESSFUL PROJECTS are:
Kensington Vision CIC, The Onya Bike Project and MerseyCycle, The RE: cycle Project: Both projectsaim to recycle and refurbish cycles that would otherwise be going to landfill working with volunteers and young people to refurbish them to provide a source of free or affordable cycles to the local community to promote active travel, increased physical activity levels and the number of people cycling, and focusing on providing skills which increase employability.
Wirral Change, The Sew Together Project: The project will bring together eight diverse community groups to make positive lifestyle changes around their recycling habits, provide life skills and improve their confidence and self-esteem. Community groups will put their sewing skills to use and collaborate in producing a Community Patchwork out of recycled materials representing their own culture and community in Wirral.
Legh Vale Primary School, The Haydock Permaculture Garden Project:A bespoke permaculture ’show’ garden at the School will help promote the benefits of sustainability and low impact lifestyles to other schools, groups and projects on Merseyside. Using an existing outdoor space, household and school materials will be recycled and turned into to usable products. The project will include a series of ‘Teach the Teachers’ and parents/child session to provide a skills sharing platform.
Groundwork Cheshire Lancashire & Merseyside, Project UP Merseyside and Halton: The successful Project UP initiative will continue and expand using its long term base in Halton to engage a much wider audience in different locations across Merseyside. Training is targeted at young NEET people, as well as those completing probation or recovering from mental health problems. The aim is to teach upcycling skills and create something from waste materials.
Neighbourhood Services Company Ltd Recycling: Located at Larkin’s Farm and at Home Farm in Croxteth Park the project will develop new ways of reusing wood to inspire and educate children to reuse/ and recycle more. The reuse of wood from domestic gardens (e.g., fences) will create an environmental education site including wetlands walkways, signage, bird/bat boxes. It will also include practical recycling / reuse activities for individuals with learning activities.
Emmaus Merseyside, The Landfill Reduction Programme: The project will double the organisation’s capacity to reuse and recycle unwanted household and furniture goods; increase the number of volunteers including homeless people, given the principal aim of Emmaus Merseyside to help homeless people reclaim their lives. Volunteers will gain skills in health and safety, manual handling, IT, repair, renovation and restoration skills, PAT testing and customer care, to enable them to repair, reuse and recycle items for sale at the Emmaus Recycling Retail Superstore in Seaforth.
Fire Support Network (FSN), The Remove to Reuse Project: Building on the success of the award winning ‘Remove to Improve’ initiative, this project will support Merseyside communities through the development of a reduce, reuse and repair scheme installing accident prevention equipment for public health, and delivering a de-clutter & garden clearance scheme for environmental services.
Granby Toxteth Development Trust, Making the L1578 Even Greener Project:The project will support recycling and waste reduction activities within the diverse communities in Picton, Princes Park and Greenbank areas of Liverpool. This project will continue activities targeting the harder to reach individuals to increase recycling and better awareness of waste management. The focus will include finding out the barriers and attitudes to recycling, with volunteers involved in engagement and community organizing techniques to achieve good results.
Billinge Horticultural Society, Billinge Community Allotments Project: The project development of 36 new allotment plots by the Billinge community for local primary schools, disability groups, a Scouts group and local residents. Work started on the plots in March 2015. The grant would reduce waste by supporting local food growing and by providing water butts and composting facilities on the site.
ENDS
For more information about the projects or to arrange to speak to individual media contacts at any of the projects please contact Colette Gill.
Media contact: Colette Gill, Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority. Tel: 0151 255 2527 email: [email protected]
NOTES FOR EDITORS
- The projects are being supported by the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority and Veolia through their Community Fund 2015-2016. They are aiming to make real difference to levels of waste produced in communities around Merseyside by engaging residents, promoting economic growth and permanently changing consumer waste habits.
- The £110,000 Community Fund for 2015-2016 has been established to reduce household waste, benefit local communities and ensure value for money for council tax payers.
- Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority – Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) is a statutory authority which, with its District Council partners, takes a lead in advocating and delivering recycling, waste prevention, and the safe and effective disposal of household waste for Merseyside’s residents.
- 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.
- MRWA operates (via a contract with Veolia Environmental Services 13 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC’s) for householders in the Merseyside area wishing to recycle and dispose of their own waste.
- 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