This is REUSE Crest Co-operative s newsletter Winter 2014 Making a difference through Reuse Your local Social Enterprise Crest Co-operative is a social enterprise, which works to reduce landfill through reuse to help people in local communities. Crest has reuse sites across the Conwy county, including three community retail stores and a Materials Reuse centre. Crest Co-operative work closely with the local authority, to deliver kerbside recycling services and has worked with housing association Cartrefi Conwy for more than five years on various community reuse projects, which have created work placements for local people. Adults with learning disabilities work in the reuse enterprises and Crest Co-operative has run back to work placements for local unemployed individuals for the last 16 years. This year Crest Co-operative teamed up with North Wales social enterprises Antur Waunfawr and Seren Ffestiniog Cyf, to launch the first third sector textile export centre in Wales, Draig Tex. Page 6 Electrical Reuse Inside this issue Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 1 Shop Re-opens Eco Schools Draig Tex export Kerbside collections Late night shopping Carpet tile reuse Electrical Reuse Community Fund
Llandudno Junction community store re-opens CREST CO-OPERATIVE S team of adults with learning disabilities and their support workers designed their own community store. The Ferry Farm Road, Llandudno Junction shop was given a new lease of life by the team at Crest. The shop has been closed since 2012 when Crest Co-operative opened large retail stores in Llandudno and Colwyn Bay. It has since been used as a furniture storage area and offices. Shoppers flocked to the new Crest Community Store, Llandudno Junction on November 4 for a popular Furniture for a Fiver sale, to celebrate the opening of the shop. The community shop stocks nearly new clothing for all the family, small items of furniture, carpet tiles and more. Crest s Work Opportunities Team, who all have learning or physical disabilities, will be running the shop with their support workers. * Crest Community Store will be open EVERY Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Ferry Farm Road, Llandudno Junction, LL31 9SF from 11am - 3pm. Eco schools are Top Textile Recyclers Gwyn Jones, Headteacher at Ysgol Eglwys Bach, said: Having the community recycling bins opposite the school has helped us tremendously as part of our zero waste activities. Reducing our bins by a half has seen us reduce our refuse collection costs. Couple this with the funds that we receive every time the textile bank is emptied and you begin to realise that even small actions can have a positive impact. Every pound we receive is ploughed back into the school, supplementing resources and ultimately the quality of the education we offer. Diolch Crest, he added. Crest Co-operative awarded more than 750 to Conwy s Eco schools in October. Bright purple and blue textile banks have been sited at primary schools and many schools collect unwanted clothing and textiles in recycling bags. The social enterprise sells clothing from textile collections in two community stores, based in Colwyn Bay and Llandudno. Funds raised through shop sales, support Crest Co-operative s reuse enterprises and create employment opportunities for local people. Sharon Jones, Chief Executive of Crest Co-operative, said: Our textile collection scheme is a great way for local schools to fundraise. In the last two years we have awarded over 8, 700 of funding to Conwy schools, through the scheme. 2
Exploring Export Textile export centre, Draig Tex, was launched in September by First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones. Draig Tex is the first of its kind in Wales. The third sector export centre was established by three North Wales based social enterprises, Crest Co-operative, Antur Waunfawr and Seren Ffestiniog Cyf. The social enterprises all collect unwanted clothing to sell in their community shops. Clothing which cannot be resold is exported to Pakistan, West Africa, East Africa and Eastern Europe, where it is reused. Speaking at the Draig Tex launch Carwyn Jones AM said: What s heartening is that when I walked in here, I was told that there s plenty of stock here, we can see that, but also there is a market, a robust market, for what has been collected. That means that there are many communities in the future, not just in Wales, but elsewhere in the world, who will benefit from the fine work that is carried out here. First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones AM at the launch of Draig Tex Draig Tex praised in industry awards Draig Tex reached the final of the Wales Co-operative Third Sector Awards and was Highly Commended at the final of the Daily Post Welsh Exporter of the Year Award 2014 Maps of Export Textiles are sorted for export At Draig Tex in North Wales Textiles are reused and exported to the global end market Draig Tex collects textiles from across Wales 3
Teaming up with North Wales Police to stop Crest bag thefts Crest Co-operative have teamed up with North Wales Police in a bid to end recycling bag thefts. North Wales Police are asking local residents to be vigilant following thefts of full Crest Cooperative textile bags from the kerbside. PC Kate Parker said All Crest Cooperative vehicles are marked with the official logo and if your bag is collected by Crest, they automatically push a replacement bag through your door. Only the liveried bags are collected by the Crest vehicles. The bags and contents belong to Crest and therefore this is theft. District Inspector Paul Joyce said I would encourage all residents to report any suspicious activity in the area to the police, noting registrations and descriptions of vehicles involved. To report a Crest recycling bag theft call PC 2721 Parker at Llandudno Police Station or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 Sharon Jones, Chief Executive at Crest Co-operative, said: We are extremely concerned about the theft of Crest purple textile bags, which has become an ongoing issue. These textiles have been kindly donated to Crest Co-operative by Conwy residents. We sell the clothing and textiles in our community shops to fund our reuse enterprises, which benefit the Conwy community, she added. Impact of donations In the last year Crest has:- Collected and worked to REUSE 149 tonnes of clothing and textiles through Crest s PURPLE BAG kerbside collections Collected and worked to REUSE 27 tonnes of small electricals through Crest s PINK kerbside collections 4
Late night shopping Crest Community Store, Mostyn Broadway, Llandudno will be open until 8pm, every Thursday, in the run up to Christmas. Late night Thursday shopping will be run up until December 18th. Crest Community Store s normal opening hours are Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm. Crest give carpet tiles a SECOND LIFE Over the last few months Crest Co-operative has been transforming spaces, by using second life carpet tiles. Crest s staff have transformed their staff room and the community store in Llandudno Junction, with carpet tiles. Carpet a room from under 50 with second life CARPET TILES Crest Co-operative has teamed up with Homelife by Greenstream. Second life carpet tiles can be purchased from Crest s shops, from as little as 30p per tile. 5
Winter demand for Electrical Reuse CREST CO-OPERATIVE S electrical engineers have been working hard to meet Winter demand. Dryers, washing machines, fridges and freezers, are on shopping lists during the Winter months and Crest s electrical engineers have been hard at work to meet demand. Shoppers have tight budgets in the run up to the festive period and reclaimed electricals offer a low cost solution for Crest s customers. The Electrical Reuse team can test up to 90 fridge freezers, 8 washing machines and 3 dryers all at once, at the Mochdre Materials Reuse site. The team collect more than 40 household appliances each week. Crest Co-operative run the bulky waste collections for the local authority, a collection service of unwanted electricals and furniture, which is offered to residents across the Conwy county. The team also work with housing associations to clear empty properties and reuse electrical items that have been left behind. Crest Co-operative s strong partnership with housing association Cartrefi Conwy, has also helped the team to meet their electrical reuse objectives. If items cannot be repaired, the team work to reuse parts and materials. The items are tested, repaired and cleaned and are then fit for resale. The household electricals are sold in Crest Co-operative s Llandudno and Colwyn Bay shops. 6
Working at the heart of the community COMMUNITY groups across Conwy have benefited from the Crest Community Fund. Each year Crest Co-operative allocates funds from surplus profits to help community groups in the Conwy county. Over the last three years Crest Co-operative has awarded more than 17, 000. Conwy community groups can apply for grants of up to 500. Llysfaen Junior Football Club recently received a funding boost of 410 from the Crest Community Fund. The community group have purchased 18 sets of waterproof, winter tracksuits for training sessions. Colwyn Bay community group Y Gadwyn received a Crest Community Fund grant of 430.40. The group will be using the funds to make CDs for the blind and visually impaired in the Welsh language. Y Gadwyn in Colwyn Bay Llysfaen FC Juniors 7 Crest Co-operative, Brierley House, Ferry Farm Road, Llandudno Junction, LL31 9SF Tel: 01492 596783