Community RePaint at Forest Recycling Project (FRP) in East London is one of the longest running and largest Community RePaint schemes in the UK.


Diverting paint from waste streams
One key aim of Community RePaint is to collect reusable, leftover paint and redistribute it to individuals, families, communities and charities in need. This also diverts leftover paint from the waste stream. FRP collects large quantities of paint from its local council run recycling centres where it has been dropped off by local residents. FRP also collects leftover or end of line stock paint from local decorators, retailers and other companies.

Brightening homes and spaces
The network aims to allow everyone in the community the opportunity to brighten their spaces and lives. The 40,000 litres of paint collected and redistributed by FRP each year allows at least 25,000 individuals to brighten their homes at affordable prices, especially beneficial for those living on low incomes.

“I knew I needed to paint my
house, but I was on benefits.
You know when something
is not looking nice, but after
painting it you get that sense of
‘wow, it’s lovely’.”
Victoria, a local resident

Colouring the community
Every year the scheme helps over 180 community groups to brighten their spaces using affordable paint. For example, a Hackney Community Grant allowed GoodGym to team up with FRP to provide paint for six local renovation projects in the community.

Supporting artists
The scheme contributed to the creation of nine local murals through the Colour the Capital project. Run in collaboration with Global Street Art and funded by The People’s Millions, the project has left a vibrant and lasting legacy in the community which has been welcomed by local residents and inspired other local street artists in the area.

Volunteering opportunities
Run by four full time staff members, the scheme also has a fantastic team of volunteers. These volunteer opportunities have helped a number of people get back into work, providing valuable skills and experience.

“I was unemployed, and the Job 
Centre asked me if I wanted
to volunteer because I was a
painter before. It gives me lots
of confidence, it’s built my
confidence up a lot.
Peter, an FRP volunteer

You can download the case study on the Forest Recycling Project or head over to their website for more information.

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