Salix Homes backs trash to treasure scheme

Terry Pearce, from Broughton, is launching social enterprise – Old to New Furnishings – which aims to recycle and renovate unwanted furniture while helping the unemployed learn new skills.

The restored furniture is then sold to the community at an affordable price and any profits will be ploughed back into the project to sustain it.

Terry, aged 55, was inspired to launch the not-for-profit business venture after growing disheartened at the amount of old furniture dumped on the streets of Salford.

He said: I always used to see all the old furniture and timber dumped on the streets and thought what a waste it was when it could be recycled and brought back in to use.

I thought it’d be a great idea to get a group of volunteers together and teach them how to restore old furniture and create new pieces. It’s so hard to find work these days and this is a good skill for people to learn and put on their CV.

I’m hoping that if it’s successful I’ll eventually be able to employ people in the community, especially those that find it most difficult to find work such as the long-term unemployed, the disabled and school leavers.

Terry received a £1,000 boost from Salix Homes to help get the project off the ground through our ‘Your Salix, Your Say’ fund, which provides grants to worthwhile community projects.

Jackie Crook, our community involvement and new initiatives manager, said: One person’s junk is another person’s treasure and it’s always a shame to see items of furniture sent to landfill when they could be re-used by a family in need.

We were thrilled to support the Old to New Furnishings group through our ‘Your Salix, Your Say’ fund and we hope this excellent project will go some way towards reducing the amount of furniture dumped on the streets of Salford and encouraging people to recycle, while teaching new and creative skills to local people who are perhaps struggling to find work.

Terry used the funding from Salix Homes to purchase tools and materials and he’s now inviting volunteers who wish to learn new skills to join him. He is also on the look out for a space in Salford to carry out his workshops. If you can help or would like to get involved in the project email Terry Pearce on terry.pearce@yahoo.co.uk or call 07811078098.

Since it began four years ago, ‘Your Salix, Your Say’ has channeled £105,000 into the Salford community and supported 44 local projects.

We are now inviting applicants to bid for our next round of ‘Your Salix, Your Say’ funding – a share of £35,000.

Local community groups and organisations are invited to bid for between £250 and £4,000 to help finance projects or initiatives that will help improve the area where they live.

This year £3,000 has also been allocated specifically for young people aged between 11 and 24 who are invited to submit bids to help fund projects aimed at the younger generation.

The deadline for applications is Friday, February 14, 2014. Decision Day, when each of the finalists will showcase their project before taking to the polls to vote which project they believe should get the money, takes place at Salford Sports Village on Littleton Road on Saturday, 29 March.

For more information or an application pack call Jackie Crook on 0161 779 8966, email hello@salixhomes.org Click here to download an application pack..