Meet the Scheme: Community RePaint East London

Kim, tell us a bit about Forest Recycling Project (FRP), and why you became a Community RePaint scheme?

At Forest Recycling Project (FRP) we work to promote a greener, more inclusive Waltham Forest in East London. Our main operational area is reclaiming, repurposing and affordably reselling leftover materials that would otherwise fill and pollute local landfill sites or go to incineration. The three products we recycle are scaffolding wood, fabrics, and of course, paint. We believe that social and environmental challenges go hand in hand and volunteering is at the heart of all our activities.

We joined the Community RePaint Network back in 1998 as it fit in with our company ethos, and has environmental and communities benefits. Reclaiming paint enables local residents and community groups to improve their living and working space in a cost effective way, promoting a higher sense of well-being and richer engagement with the space. We are proud to be a member of the Community RePaint Network.

Watch the video below to see and hear more about FRP and Community RePaint East London.

Can you tell us what your typical working day is like and possibly share your top tip for managing your Community RePaint scheme?

A typical day can be very varied depending on what our focus is. We are a team of four on the retail side, plus two very valuable volunteers, David and Keith.

The main thing I walk away thinking after each shift is that I am amazed of the commitment of everyone in the team at Community RePaint East London. If you come by our warehouse you will meet Les, our driver, who goes out and sources the majority of our paint, ensuring that he saves as much as he can from incineration.

Clive is an former painter and decorator who has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to decorating, from who we all pinch different tips and tricks from. At our shop you’ll meet Em who will school you in all the different initiatives that FRP is involved in, whether it be our tool library based in Walthamstow, or our cashless events in partnership with Hackney council.

What have been Community RePaint East London’s biggest achievements thus far?

Community RePaint East London has been around for many many years, and we all have our own personal favorite achievements. For me, being a reuse charity that also works at providing free volunteering opportunities has to be the small daily impacts that makes me feel that we achieve big things. Whether it be providing paint for someone that would struggle otherwise to find the budget to decorate, or having our volunteers come in everyday and enjoy their time with us are all outcomes that give me such pride that I work for an organisation that provides this in my local community.

Between 2011 and 2021, we collected 477,832 litres of leftover paint, preventing it from going to waste. We managed to redistribute 371,864 litres, helping individuals, families, charities and groups brighten their spaces and their lives.

Community RePaint East London’s Walthamstow site

 

Do you have any stories from the community you’d like to share?

As we have been a Community RePaint for 24 years, we have lots of great stories to tell. In 2016, we donated 300 litres of paint to Boomtown Festival which was used on various structures at the festival. In 2015, we launched the Colour the Capital project, which aimed to create nine street art murals across three East London boroughs. In the run up to London 2012 Olympic games, a set of Olympic-themed murals are brightening up Hackney’s Kingsmead neighbourhood and helping to reduce antisocial behaviour at the same time.

In 2020, renowned artist Camille Walala teamed up with local artists to transform Leytonstone’s high street, using paint from Community RePaint East London. The local community was at the heart of this project, with the artist inviting Londoners to help shape the final design by voting for their favourite colour scheme.

Walala Parade, Leyton, transformed with paint from Community RePaint East London

Art mural from Colour the Capital project

 

Do you have any painting tips that you can share with us?

The best tip I can give will always be one of the simpler ones – it’s all about the prep. A simple cleaning of the wall with sugar soap and filling any cracks or holes will always help you achieve a better finish to the final painted wall.

Our team member Clive is a former painter and decorator, and is here to give his professional opinion and help customers get the best results.

What’s next for Community RePaint East London?

Many people purchase from us whether it be for environmental choices, budget restraints or because we truly are their local paint shop. We want to continue and grow this, along with our volunteering base. We would love to be top of mind for all local residents when it comes to buying paint. That is where being part of the Community RePaint Network can be such an asset to us, to support us and achieve this goal.

Left: Kim O’Donovan, Retail and Operations Manager at Community RePaint East London. Right: Team at Community RePaint East London

 

More information about Community RePaint London:

You can purchase paint at two sites in East London.

The Paint Place (Forest Recycling Project), 2c Bakers Avenue (off Hoe Street, near Bakers Arms), Walthamstow, London, E17 9AW (Open: Friday: 10am – 4.30pm, Saturday: 10am – 2pm)

Forest Recycling Project, 7 The Sidings, Hainault Drive, Leytonstone, London, E11 1HD (Open: Wednesday & Thursday 10am – 4.30pm)

Get in touch direct: info@frpuk.org