SCC Reuse & Recycling Grant

2008/9 was the first round of a three year £600,000 fund to help voluntary and Not-for-Profit groups increase the amount of waste that is reused and recycled in the county. It also supports projects that create employment opportunities, tackle social exclusion, improve skills and create volunteering opportunities.

Suffolk County Council has now opened the bidding round for the second year of the Voluntary and Not-for-Profit Reuse and Recycling Grant. Councillor Lisa Chambers, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Waste Management said: "This is an excellent opportunity for creative initiatives to make a difference to the environment and help divert waste from landfill which is expensive and contributes to global warming. It is vital that we all commit to reducing, reusing and recycling more of our waste."

The fund is aimed specifically at capital expenditure which includes land, buildings and other structures, equipment and vehicles to enable voluntary and not-for-profit organisations to increase their capacity to reuse and recycle more materials in Suffolk.

Reuse Grant Workshops

For groups and organisations interested in applying for the grant a series of information gathering workshops are being held, which will include details about the work of the Suffolk County Reuse and Recycling Network (SCRRN).

The 2 hour workshop will be split into four parts

Part 1: A presentation about the work of SCRRN and how you can get involved

Part 2: A presentation on the Suffolk County Council's Reuse and Recycling Capital grant fun d and information on how groups can apply, the amount available, what we are looking for and any other information.

Part 3: A presentation from one of the past successful applicants.

Part 4: A representative from the Waste Recycling Group (WRG) who currently run all the 18 Household Waste Recycling Centres across the county to discuss what they do and how they could potentially work in partnership with your organisation

After the presentations from the individual parties, there will be an opportunity for you to have a one to one session with one or all of the representatives to discuss any queries/ questions that you may have.

Contact jayne.vaughan@suffolk.gov.uk or telephone (01473 581725).

The guidelines for the Reuse and Recycling Capital grant can be downloaded here. The reuse grant application form can be downloaded here. For further information contact Jayne Vaughan, Social Enterprise Business Development Officer, Tel: 01473 264653 or email jayne.vaughan@suffolk.gov.uk.

Round 1 Projects

Ten charities were awarded a total of £175,000 in 2008/09 and it is expected that they will divert some 3,500 tonnes of waste from landfill and 150 training and work placements will be offered as a result.

Here are some of the success stories from this year...

Which projects benefitted in 2008/09?

Mow & Grow, Lowestoft

Grant award: £25,000 To purchase a new vehicle and trailer to enable ‘Clear and Grow' to go into gardens to remove dangerous waste and items so that 'Mow and Grow' can then offer their gardening service.

Waste diverted from landfill: Green waste / furniture / white goods / wood

Placements for working age adults, older people, people with learning disabilities, people with mental health problems and people at risk of offending.

Triange Living Water, Ipswich

Grant awarded: £25,000 To increase the amount of available space at the shop, which will then increase the capacity to enable more clothes to be recycled; more volunteers; more customers.

Waste diverted: Textiles

Placements for working age adults, older people, people with learning disabilities, people with mental health problems and people from black and minority ethnic groups.

Suffolk Real Nappy Network, Ipswich

Grant awarded: £10,760 To provide 'nappy trial kits' to loan to members of the community and to provide promotional material on the use of cloth nappies.

Waste diverted: Disposable nappies

Placements for young person and working age adults.

Ipswich Furniture Project

Grant awarded: £25,000 To purchase a 3.5 tonne van with tail-lift to increase the number of collections and deliveries of re-usable furniture and appliances. To provide volunteer training placements to assist in collecting and delivering furniture. To develop a surplus of re-usable products that can assist other groups already established or developing.

Waste diverted: Furniture and white goods.

Placements: Placements for working age adults, people with learning disabilities, people dependent on substance/alcohol misuse and people from black and minority ethnic groups.

Workwise, Bury St Edmunds

Grant awarded: £5,819 To purchase a binding machine for the quilting project; a new sewing/ embroidery machine an overlocker and an embellisher; an industrial iron and board; a cutting and sewing table and a portable embroidery machine for use in the shop.

Waste diverted: Textiles

Placements for working age adults, older people, people with learning disabilities, people with mental health problems and people living in rural locations.

St.Nicholas Hospice, Bury St Edmunds

Grant awarded: £12,400 To purchase a new van to enable the collection of unwanted furniture, clothes, bric-a-brac, mobile phones and ink cartridges that would be sent to landfill. Working with the YMCA, volunteering placements will be offered to improve their skills, confidence and future employability.

Waste diverted: Clothes, textiles, furniture, bric-a-brac, sound and vision.

Placements: Placements for working age adults, people with learning disabilities, people dependent on substance/alcohol misuse and long term unemployed.

Electronic Appliance Reuse in Suffolk, Ipswich

Grant awarded: £25,000 To redistribute the working electrical waste around the county to where is can be utilised. This will be realised by purchasing a new transit van; crusher/ bailer; wet test area; white goods hand trolley; forklift and sign writing on the van.

Waste diverted: IT, white goods, hand held appliances, audio-visual equipment, telecoms equipment, garden /tools.

Placements: Placements for working age adults, older people, people with learning disabilities, people with physical and sensory disabilities.

Gatehouse Furniture Project, Bury St Edmunds

Grant awarded:£12,400 To purchase a new van to enable the collection and delivery of furniture to disadvantaged people.

Waste diverted: Furniture, textiles.

Placements: under 25, working age adults, older people.

Newmarket Open Door Furniture Project

Grant awarded:£17,300 To set up an Anglia Foodbank to redistribute unsold food. To purchase a second-hand forklift, order picker, high-level steps and stock trolleys; roof an open brick compound to provide 300sq ft of covered storage; provide training and experience in warehousing.

Waste diverted: Food and household goods, food waste to compost, food waste to animal feed/animal charities.

Placements: Young people, working age adults, people at risk of offending/areas of high crime, people dependent on substance/alcohol misuse.

Genesis Orwell Mencap, Ipswich

Grant awarded: £14,828 To purchase a briquette machine, which will turn the sawdust from the Garden Furniture enterprise (estimated at 50 tonnes per year) into briquettes which can then be re-used by Genesis users/ staff and be sold to the general public.

Waste diverted: Wood

Placements: People with learning disabilities. Genesis currently employs 120 people per week.

More information: The fuel is now available to purchase! In 2 bag sizes; 4.5kg (£2.50) and 17kg (£8) - call 01473 723888 for details as delivery can be arranged for larger orders.

Damien Ribbans, Business Development Manager for the charity said “We are so pleased to receive this new equipment as we will now be able to make a useful product out of what was once regarded as waste. At Genesis we are committed to making a difference both to the environment and to the people who receive services from us. Through these projects we are able to improve skills and create valued, work-based activity for those furthest from the labour market.”