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In Liverpool a 'commonwealth' of social businesses has developed which deal with the city's bulky household waste stream, comprised mainly of furniture and large domestic appliances. CREATE/Bulky Bob's/Dove Designs/Revive work closely together to maximise the reuse and recycling of this waste. The businesses also deliver social benefits through training long-term unemployed people and making goods available to low income households.
"With Bulky Bob's we are showing how a new social business can genuinely join things up. Residents get a much improved and reliable collection service. Families in need get decent cheap furniture. Unemployed people get jobs in collecting, sorting, recycling and selling. Everyone wins in this new way of doing the city's business." Mike Storey, Liverpool City Council.
Bulky Bob's is a member of Liverpool's Furniture Resource Centre group. The business was launched in June 2000 and has been awarded a six-year contract by Liverpool City Council to carry out all bulky household waste collections. Bulky Bob's was also awarded a three-year contract from the City's Economic Development Unit for the development of social economy outputs. The business has created permanent employment and offers salaried training.
This year Bulky Bob's will carry out over 30,000 collections of bulky household waste in the Liverpool area. On average each collection picks up 3 items. Once collected, goods are segregated for reuse and refurbishment at a 12,000 square foot warehouse. Approximately 20% of all goods collected are reused or refurbished.
Items in a reasonable condition are directly sold at low cost to people in need. For the financial year 2001/2 Bulky Bob's expects to sell at least £75,000 worth of second hand goods and to have rescued at least 9000 items from the waste stream.
Sofas and chairs in need of reupholstering are sold to the Furniture Resource Centre 's upholstery workshop. Refrigerators, washing machines and cookers are sold to C R E ATE where they are repaired or recycled. Wo o d e n furniture is repaired and French Polished at Dove Designs.
Once restored many of these refurbished products are sold to the public through the high street store Revive.
Bulky Bob's has created 10 permanent jobs and 15 salaried training places for local people.
CREATE provides salaried training for long-term unemployed people through the refurbishment, recycling and resale of household appliances. The business assesses appliances collected by Bulky Bob's and takes those considered suitable for refurbishment to a 16,000 square foot unit in Speke. In addition, refrigeration appliances are degassed on a subcontract basis and the CFCs sent for destruction. Approximately 3000 units will be received from Bulky Bob's this year. Additional end-of-life appliances are sourced from retailers and manufacturers to provide sufficient material for production to meet sales demand.
CREATE expects to sell £300,000 worth of household appliances in 2000/01. The business also offers a year's paid work with training up to NVQ Level 2, for people suffering from long-term unemployment. Since 1995 the organisation has helped 60 trainees move into permanent jobs. CREATE Liverpool currently employs 15 permanent staff and up to 25 trainees.
Revive is a high street store selling new and refurbished household goods. Some of the products on sale are produced by social businesses such as Bulky Bob's, CREATE and Dove Designs, which trains people with mental health problems. Some members of the store's sales team are trainees. This scheme gives trainees confidence and qualifications to kick-start their future careers in retail.
Revive is exploring new ways for people to access credit to buy quality furniture. The shop intends to create a socially progressive credit scheme for people on low incomes.
The Dove Designs charity works predominately with adults with enduring mental health problems. Timber furniture collected by Bulky Bob's is restored and French polished at the business. Its overall aim is to provide work experience, vocational training and work in a commercial environment in order to improve people's self worth and potential for long term employment.
As well as recovering greater amounts of material from the household waste stream, this partnership of social businesses provides a win-win situation for local authorities and communities.
A CREATE trainee says: "The difference with CREATE is that people here are doing a job - it's not just about training. The fact that you're being paid for your efforts makes you feel part of the community again."
Alison Ball
Furniture Resource Centre Limited
Atlantic Way
Brunswick Business Park
Liverpool
L3 4HE
Tel: 0151 330 4300
Fax: 0151 330 4323
Email: alison@furnitureresourcecentre.com
John Redmayne
CREATE
Speke Hall Road
Speke
Liverpool
L24 9HA
Tel: 0151 448 1748
Fax: 0151 448 1431
Email: info@createuk.com