It was donated to us by Pentalver in Cannock, a shipping container transportation and logistics company who had it going spare and assisted in getting into place. The new container sits in the carpark of Eastfield Primary School. The new container will enable Community RePaint Black Country to further their services by diverting more more materials and household paints away from landfill and making them available to many Midlands-based projects!
The Welsh Government has sustainable development at the heart of all of its policies and agendas, to ensuring that Wales’ natural beauty and resources are safeguarded for the future generations.
As part of Recycle Week 2015, the Welsh Assembly Minister for Natural Resources, Carl Sargeant, visited CRAFT, who host Community RePaint Aberystwyth. CRAFT not only collect and redistribute surplus paint for Community RePaint, they are an independent, not-for-profit reuse organisation for all sorts of domestic items and find them a new home.
The CRAFT mantra is ‘reduce, reuse, re-enjoy’ which looks to reduce the amount of unnecessary waste that finds its way to landfill – or that just likes to lurk forever and ever in the back of your cupboard! CRAFT also provide free items to local charities and groups, and work with Ceredigion Social Services and other agencies to provide their clients with vital homeware. CRAFT staff work in an educational capacity in the local area on thinking a little more green. CRAFT can help out with a variety of projects; from teaching primary pupils about recycling, guiding secondary and NVQ pupils on placements; to discussing our sustainable architecture and biomass boiler with postgrads.
Welsh Minister for Natural Resources, Carl Sargeant (centre) with CRAFT’s Director, Cliff Pope (left) and Project Manager, Allison Cann (right)
Carl Sargeant, Minister for Natural Resources said:
“It’s a real pleasure to see firsthand the excellent work being done here by CRAFT. Through collecting unwanted everyday household items, they are providing affordable, sustainable furniture for local communities – creating jobs, volunteer opportunities and training in the process.
“Recycling rates in Wales are the best in UK and fourth best in Europe. We can be proud of the platform our outstanding recycling performance provides but it is something which must be built on if we are to see the sustainable, zero waste, green Wales which we are committed to delivering for our future generations.
“This scheme is a perfect example of the enormous economic and social benefits and opportunities that reducing and reusing waste can bring”
It’s great news to hear that senior members of the Welsh Government are endorsing one of Community RePaint’s schemes. We would like to take this opportunity to thank CRAFT for their continued work for Community RePaint Aberystwyth and hope that this publicity brings you more paint and more community groups and local people using the scheme.
The mural located at the corner of Elmfield Road was a welcomed addition to the upcoming area with passers-by and residents thrilled with the outgoing and colourful design. The Colour the Capital project will aim to create nine street art murals across three East London boroughs. The Colour the Capital project has been made possible by the funding won as part of entry into The People’s Millions; a partnership between ITV and Big Lottery Fund, where the public helped to decide which local community projects got up to £50,000 of National Lottery funding. In conjunction with the project, Community RePaint East London have also made 2000 litres of paint freely available to not-for-profit organisations and community groups in the local area. For more information regarding the offer please contact 0208 539 9076 or email paint@frponline.org.uk.
Brand new mural painted on side of house in Elmfield Road, Walthamstow, East London.
The creation of the second Colour The Capital Mural in Tower Hamlets is located on Pritchards Road. The mural was created by various street artists as a compilation of techniques and styles merging together. The mural truly transforms the building and surrounding areas highlighting the changing landscape of Tower Hamlets. With over 10 artists involved their individual styles take effect in different parts of the mural but come together to make a grand mural of the highest calibre.
Second mural, Pritchards Road
The third mural was a fresh new collaboration featuring artists Spore and Macism created near the Old Kent Road. Some of their previous work was featured on the Walls Project courtesy of Global Street Art.
Third mural, Old Street
More About Community RePaint East London
Forest Recycling Project (FRP) is a social enterprise and charity with environmental and social aims. They engage organisations and communities in NE London via a range of practical initiatives to reduce, re-use and recycle waste, and help people live sustainably. Founded in 1989 and based in Walthamstow, all their work is supported by volunteers.
FRP’s The Paint Place is one of the largest Community RePaint schemes in the UK. It sells surplus paint of all types, colours and sizes from just £1 per litre. Donated paint is quality checked and remixed by volunteers before going on sale at:
– The Paint Place shop at 2c Baker’s Avenue, Walthamstow, E17 9AW
– The Paint Warehouse at Unit 7, The Sidings, Leytonstone, E11 1HD
– Several stockists across London.
Paint Place: 020 8539 9076- mark@frponline.org.uk
The Paint Place is supported by grants in addition to income from the paint sales. FRP also works with not-for-profit organisations, community groups and housing associations, enabling those on low incomes to access free or discounted paint.
More About Global Street Art
Global Street Art is the cross-channel street art platform. Online at www.globalstreetart.com, Global Street Art holds over 80,000 photos submitted by artists from over 90 countries and has 160,000 fans on social media. In the real world, Global Street Art has organised over 700 legal street art murals in London since 2012. Global Street Art also has an agency, working internationally with leading brands, councils and institutions on art-derived projects.
Global Street Art: 078 1473 4569 – lee@globalstreetart.com
Community RePaint Wirral is running a promotion on garden shed and fence paint at just 50p per litre!
This year’s National Allotments Week, as organised by The National Allotment Society is themed around “A Plot for all Ages” celebrating the fact that allotments are now worked by men and women of all ages and enjoyed by families. It is also an opportune time to highlight the fact that we need to protect our sites for future generations to enjoy. Allotments are also a great way to educate children about where our food comes from, the work that is put into producing it and the importance of not wasting this resource.
Di Appleyard, PR Officer for the National Allotment Society, explained, “We would like to encourage everyone who values allotments and appreciates the benefits they bring to the health and well-being of a community to engage with their local council and make sure that allotments are considered in Local Plans and other relevant policies; if a site comes up for disposal the National Planning Casework Unit will assess any contradictions between the council’s intention to dispose of allotment land and council policies, particularly in local or neighbourhood plans”.
Hyndburn Borough Council have kindly donated the vehicle to Community Solutions North West (CSNW) who host our scheme in Burnley.
The van livery has been provided by SignSmith in Burnley. We think the new van with it’s signage should attract even more interest to the Community RePaint scheme, so that more people donate paint and come to get paint too!
Mark Hirst, Director of CSNW, said “The new van will be used for lots of jobs, but will be massively helpful for [Community] RePaint!”.
Community RePaint were contacted by Marks & Spencer in early July and asked if we could help provide paint for the relevant projects. As the 24 projects were all based in the capital, we suggested that they contact our biggest scheme there, Community RePaint East London. The scheme obliged by supplying 336 litres of surplus, reusable paint to be used for murals and brightening up some of the worthy projects.
Some of the projects to be completed within the 24 hours included the transformation of an unused central London rooftop into a colourful children’s play area, renovating a community farmyard, providing a new dining room for a busy soup kitchen and the planting of an edible garden. Projects include St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington and Brixton Soup Kitchen. This launch marks the start of further projects in 24 towns and cities across the UK and Ireland, over the next 24 months.
Led by Joanna Lumley and M&S CEO Marc Bolland, the company aims to ‘spark’ its 34 million customers into action by showing just what can be achieved in just one day when people come together united by a common goal. M&S developed Spark Something Good following extensive research which revealed that getting involved in community projects enhanced people’s lives.
Joanna Lumley, M&S Spark Something Good ambassador, comments: “This isn’t just about today or even tomorrow. It’s about the cumulative effect of people giving back to their community over time. We want to make people happy and spark a relay of good deeds across the nation and we need your help now! The potential is simply enormous.
“People tell us they’d like to support local charities and they want to give hands-on help and see lives being changed. Donating time is just as valuable as giving money and is often more rewarding.”
Marc Bolland, Marks & Spencer CEO, said: “M&S people and customers have always helped in their local community, by working together we know we can achieve even more by volunteering or making a donation to a charity that matters locally. We know the positive impact it can have and that a healthy high street needs a healthy community to support it. That’s why we’re making it easy to get involved and asking our people and customers to Spark Something Good.”
A newly created Spark Something Good website –www.marksandspencer.com/getinvolved – has been developed in partnership with the social network for social good, Neighbourly.com. The site shows the local fundraising and volunteering opportunities that every one of M&S’ owned stores are involved in.
Nick Davies, Founder of Neighbourly adds: “Finding community projects and matching them to people willing to help has always been difficult. We have worked with Marks & Spencer to bring the latest digital technology to empower the public to get involved with community projects on their own doorsteps. Anyone can take part and importantly it’s about people with energy, good ideas and vision. You don’t need to be a formal charity to get your idea off the ground. You just need a bright idea for social good. With the help of M&S and Spark Something Good, we can then direct local energy and enthusiasm to exactly where it is needed.”
Whatever an individual’s passion – from photography to DIY and gardening to cookery – there will be something for everyone on the Neighbourly network so that people can ensure their skills are put to use in their communities. So, there’s plenty of opportunity for you to grab a paintbrush, contact a local Community RePaint scheme and start giving your local community projects some TLC!
Spark Something Good is part of Plan A, M&S’s ground-breaking eco and ethical programme. M&S has a long history of giving something back to the community. In the past seven years M&S has raised more than £50 million for charity partners, raised £15 million for Oxfam through its Shwopping initiative and encouraged its employees to volunteer by allowing an annual, paid volunteer day.
For over 20 years, the Community RePaint Network has been working together to tackle the issue. Since our formation we have grown to over 75 schemes that are all passionate about preventing this perfectly re-usable paint from reaching the waste stream. Our schemes will collect any surplus, re-usable paint and redistribute it within their communities to individuals and families on low income and charities and community groups. Last year alone we saved over 446,000 litres of paint from going to waste. We also work hard behind the scenes, getting involved with a number of partners including the British Coatings Federation, to highlight the issue and identify opportunities to work together to find a solution.
Not only does paint re-use benefit the environment by reducing the negative environmental impacts associated with paint production and disposal, it also has a significant impact on the people and groups who have access to the paint. Decorating and personalising a home or community space can make a huge difference to the quality of life of the people who live there or use it. Our schemes also provide jobs, training and volunteering opportunities within the community. In fact, the Network would be nothing without the employees, trainees and volunteers who run the schemes.
Sound good? Well, it gets better because there are some really easy steps that you can take to support our network:
· Follow us, like us and share far and wide to keep up to date with all things related to the Network and help spread the word
· Get paint from us! Find you nearest scheme here
· Give us your leftover paint! Find your nearest donation point if you are a trader or a member of the public
Martin spoke about Community RePaint at a workshop about practical examples of resource efficiency. The workshop provided an excellent opportunity for us to share our knowledge and experience with representatives from other G7 nations. A representative from the British Coatings Federation was also present, who contributed to a workshop about strategy and management in resource efficiency.
You will need to be available to attend 4 board meetings a year and input a few additional hours here and there within your area of expertise.
For more details see the full job description.
