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A share of £165,000 is up for grabs to help community groups make the Liverpool City Region a cleaner and greener place.

The funding – made available via the Zero Waste Community Fund 2024/25 – is for community and voluntary groups, schools and not-for-profit organisations, who can reduce household waste, encourage recycling and resource reuse and prevent carbon emissions.

There is up to £30,000 for projects which cover a minimum of four City Region districts, and between £1000 and £8,000 available for projects which work solely at one local authority level.

Chairperson of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA), Councillor Catie Page, said: “We are so grateful for the partnerships we have with the region’s community groups. They are the backbone of our communities, the ones who are working on the ground to make a difference.

“Giving groups the opportunity to get involved in looking after their environment brings benefits to all and can help us appreciate items as valuable resources rather than something which otherwise might be just thrown away.”

Bids must tackle one or more of the five priority household waste materials which have been identified by MRWA as key, namely WEEE (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment), Food, Textiles, Plastics and Furniture. An analysis* of waste in the region highlighted that a greater amount of these materials could be re-used or recycled. Projects can also include other household waste materials, for example paper or metals.

Previous Community Fund projects have included local recycling guidebooks, cookery clubs to support healthy eating and reduce food waste, fruit and veg gleaning, restoring old furniture to sell for charity and refurbishing unwanted rugs for resale.

One organisation to have previously received funding is Toxteth-based Liverpool World Centre, who have been running clothes and textiles waste education programmes throughout the region.

Jacquie Ayre, Global Learning Education Officer at Liverpool World Centre, said: “Our projects in the past and the current one ‘Re-think The Waste Revolution’ work closely with teachers and youth group leaders – supported by our partner Faiths4change – to give them the confidence, knowledge, understanding and skills needed to initiate conversations within  their settings.

“Currently we are supporting the creation of groups of young people to become peer led waste educators to deliver the rethinking waste message and engage with others to think critically about consumption. We anticipate these messages becoming more embedded in community and school settings and consequently behaviour around textile, food and electrical waste will start to change and waste will be reduced.”

A celebration event for the Community Fund was held on Tuesday 6^th February, which brought together previous and current projects.

Interested groups can apply via www.merseysidewda.gov.uk.  

The deadline for submissions is 11.59pm on Sunday 10th March 2024.

Successful projects should receive the funding by mid April 2024 and will have to deliver their schemes by March 2025.

Organisations interested in this year’s Community Fund can:

• Apply online at www.merseysidewda.gov.uk  

• Contact the Authority:

Community.fund@merseysidewda.gov.uk

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS:

Sunday 10^th March 2024, 11.59pm

A Wirral community organisation is using money received from an environmental fund to help stop furniture from going to waste.

Birkenhead-based Bee Wirral CIC has clinched £5760 from the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA) and Veolia Community Fund to help deliver the ‘Refresh: preloved furniture’ project. The money is being used to train up volunteers who can repair and refurbish unwanted furniture and pass it on to a new home.

The project is being run in conjunction with Wirral Council and local housing association, Magenta Living, who are supplying the furniture from their empty properties.

Lorraine Anderson, Director at Bee Wirral, said: “Refresh is all about reusing and recycling furniture and preventing it from going to waste. We are using the funding to deliver furniture cleaning, repair and restoration skills to our volunteers, teaching them how simple techniques such as painting, waxing, stencilling and decoupage can transform donated items. By undertaking some minor improvements unwanted furniture can be restored and repurposed to become a desirable item for a new home.”

The MRWA funding has enabled the recruitment of a driver’s mate and handyman, which is allowing Bee Wirral to pick up and deliver more furniture donations than they could previously. Families who need furniture liaise through Magenta Living and are able to choose restored items they need for their home.

As well as learning repair and refurbishment skills any volunteers recruited to assist with the Refresh project are included on the Bee Wirral staff and volunteer training programme where they receive first aid, safeguarding and employability skills teaching.

By the time the project has ended, Bee Wirral hope they will have saved 25 tonnes of material from going to waste, engaged with 100 people, and delivered 340 hours of training to 16 volunteers.

Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority, said: “We were really impressed with this project by Bee Wirral as we can give them the financial support to deliver a project where usable furniture doesn’t even make it into the waste stream but instead back into people’s homes. This is such a great scheme and I’d like to give everyone involved a huge thank you for their efforts.”

To get involved with Bee Wirral call 0151 647 7587 or email info@beewirral.co.uk.

ENDS

Notes to editors:
Image captions – images show volunteers for Bee Wirral’s Refresh Furniture project refurbishing furniture.

Established in 2013. Bee Wirral CIC is a lottery funded community centre, created to help bring a sense of community to Birkenhead. The organisation was called Birkenhead Early Excellence, which is where the name Bee comes from. www.beewirral.co.uk

The MRWA and Veolia Community Fund 2023/24 has seen 13 community groups from Merseyside and Halton receive a funding boost to help make the region a cleaner and greener place. The financial support will see the groups help reduce household waste, encourage recycling and resource re-use, and prevent carbon emissions. Funding total is £164,945.00

Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority is responsible for the disposal of municipal waste on Merseyside. Established in 1986 following the abolition of Merseyside County Council, it is a statutory Authority that works with all the local authorities on Merseyside – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. MRWA takes a lead in advocating recycling, waste prevention and safe and effective disposal of waste for Merseyside residents.

A local charity theatre is celebrating a funding boost which they say will help cut waste and increase reuse and recycling.

 

Valley Community Theatre in Netherley, Liverpool, has been awarded £7977 to help deliver ‘Valley Vegheads’, a food growing and cookery skills project which it hopes will reduce food waste, increase composting and encourage food growing in the local community.

 

The money has come from the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority & Veolia Community Fund 2023/24.

 

Martin Ball, Charity Director at Valley Community Theatre, said: “We are using the funding to bring in an extra pair of hands. This means that we have more resource to help create  a community kitchen garden at our premises on Childwall Valley Road, allowing us to run gardening activities and host community swap shops. Our recycling of waste products from the garden and café and our textiles ‘Swap Shop’ will serve as an education for all in reducing waste and will impact positively on the environment.”

The project launched in the summer and is hoping to cut waste by:

• • Creating a community kitchen garden that supports and provides food for free school meals during the theatre’s Holiday Activities Food club.

• • Hosting gardening activities, composting, growing vegetables and using harvested foods in the theatre’s café.

• • Increasing the recycling of items from the theatre café (including aluminium cans, cardboard, plastics, paper, glass) which serves audiences attending performances throughout the year.

• • Running six community ‘Swap Shop’ for clothes and textiles including unwanted school uniforms.

By the end of the project the theatre hopes they will have engaged with up to 4000 people and stopped over 16 tonnes of material from going to waste.

 

Martin Ball continued: “The vegetable growing part of the project will ensure more children, young people and wider community members have access to the fresh food we produce. Helping young people understand why we can’t grow bananas, or that potatoes grow underground, gives them a greater appreciation of where our food comes from and what’s involved in producing it.

 

“The nutrition and education part of the process will be incorporated into our Holiday Activities With Food programmes. All our participants and visitors will also benefit from the transformation of an otherwise overlooked outside space which will now offer a place to sit and appreciate the enhanced grounds, learn about the growing of different fruits and vegetables and serve as a place of discovery.”

 

Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority, said: “Wasted food is a huge issue for society and for the environment. The numbers show that eight meals could be saved each week if we stopped binning our food at home. Projects like this one are crucial in delivering useful information to residents and helping make positive changes in behaviour. We’re looking forward to seeing how it develops.”

 

ENDS

A charity in Bootle has made it their mission to stop textiles from being thrown away – and has received a financial funding boost to help them in their efforts.

The Repurpose Project: Breathing New Life into Old Textiles is the creation of The Venus Charity, a Bootle-based community group who help to empower, promote and support women, young women and their children. The resource-rescuing project has been awarded £3500 from the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority and Veolia Community Fund, which helps local groups to reduce waste and increase recycling and reuse.

Venus have run a pop-up shop in the Bootle Strand shopping centre to deliver upcycling textiles workshops within the shop space. More follow-on sessions have been delivered from The Venus Centre in Bootle.

Sue Potts, Chief Executive of Venus, said: “The Repurpose Project is aiming to prevent waste and increase the amount of materials available for reuse and recycling by upcycling old textiles. We’re hoping to raise awareness about the importance of sustainable practices, and to provide a creative and accessible way for members of our community to engage with these practices. By using these materials we can prevent them from going to waste and instead give them a new lease of life.”

Venus have been working with partner organisations to source materials which can then be creatively repurposed. The workshops – led by artist Emma Summerscales – are providing an anticipated 50 participants with the skills and knowledge they need to upcycle textiles, whilst preventing up to one tonne of materials from going to waste.

Venus have also developed an educational booklet that is being distributed to participants during the sessions, providing them with step-by-step instructions on how to upcycle and repair their textiles. Short educational presentations are being shown at each session which covers topics such as the environmental impact of textile waste, the benefits of upcycling, and the basics of textile repair. These presentations are interactive and designed to engage participants and encourage them to ask questions and share their own experiences.

Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority, said: “According to research* around 5% of household bins locally contain textiles such as clothes and shoes, a lot of which could still be used. The Repurpose Project can help stop those items from being thrown away, can stop resources from going to waste, whilst also engaging with the local community and spread the message about sustainability in a practical way.”

Sue Potts continued: “We believe that by directly engaging with residents we can build a stronger relationship and foster a sense of community ownership and involvement in our project. This will not only benefit the success of our project and the environment, but also have a positive impact on the local community as a whole.”

A project celebration event was recently held at the Venus Centre (Thursday 30th November, 2023) which brought together organisers, participants and partners.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

– *Statistic from Merseyside and Halton Waste Composition Analysis 2021/22. https://www.zerowastelcr.com/liverpool-city-region-waste-composition-analysis-2021/

– Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority is responsible for the disposal of municipal waste on Merseyside. Established in 1986 following the abolition of Merseyside County Council, it is a statutory Authority that works with all the local authorities on Merseyside – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. MRWA takes a lead in advocating recycling, waste minimisation and safe and effective disposal of waste for Merseyside residents.

– The MRWA and Veolia Community Fund 2023/24 has seen 13 community groups from Merseyside and Halton receive a funding boost to help make the region a cleaner and greener place. The financial support will see the groups help reduce household waste, encourage recycling and resource re-use, and prevent carbon emissions. Funding total is £164,945.00

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Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority has launched a Christmas campaign advising residents to ‘choose to reuse’, in a bid to tackle climate change.

Along with reuse tips, the campaign – which is being driven through the Authority’s Zero Waste LCR branch – offers other sustainable guidelines, which can help people to save money while protecting the environment.

According to national data from the Environment Agency, around 30% more waste is generated at Christmas time.

Further astonishing figures state that an estimated 50,000 trees are cut down to create enough paper to wrap presents, while over 1 billion Christmas cards are thrown away per year.

The above stats form part of a wider waste problem that negatively impacts climate change during the festive season.

Although larger generation of waste during Christmas time is a widespread issue, Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority is keen to buck the trend.

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Reaction

Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority, said:

“The aim of our ‘Choose to Reuse’ campaign is simple; to help residents reduce waste, save money and protect the planet for future generations… All in a way which doesn’t compromise the joys of Christmas.

“We’ve created a dedicated blog series which offers sustainable advice on everything from Christmas trees and decorations to cards, wrapping paper and gifts.

“Even if residents try one or two of the tips on offer, every little step towards reducing waste is a big stride towards protecting the environment.”

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Cllr Catie Page, Chair of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority, said:

“Often, planning goes out the window and leaves us in a rush to choose the quick and convenient option when Christmas shopping… Then, before we know it, it’s all over!

“While the primary aim is to make Liverpool City Region more sustainable, the ‘Choose to Reuse’ campaign also gives people a chance to think again.

“We want to provide plenty of inspiration for residents and their loved ones to embrace creativity and build precious festive memories together in the process.”

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More information is available at https://www.zerowastelcr.com/blog/choose-to-reuse-this-christmas/.

-ENDS-

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 NOTES TO EDITORS

• Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority is responsible for the disposal of municipal waste on Merseyside. Established in 1986 following the abolition of Merseyside County Council, it is a statutory Authority that works with all the local authorities on Merseyside – Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral and also Halton. MRWA takes a lead in advocating recycling, waste minimisation and safe and effective disposal of waste for Merseyside residents and operates (via a contract with resource management company Veolia) 16 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC’s) for householders in the Merseyside and Halton area wishing to recycle and dispose of their own waste. For more information, please visit https://www.merseysidewda.gov.uk/.

 

• Zero Waste Liverpool City Region is brought to you by Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA). The main aim of Zero Waste LCR is to work towards both MRWA’s own Corporate Plan and the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority’s commitment to Net Zero by 2040. Waste and resources play an important part in reaching this target, in combating the effects of climate change, and we also believe that we must adopt a zero waste circular economy to ensure that resources are used for longer and carbon emissions are prevented. Premature disposal of resources means that the full extent of their value is not maximised for the local economy. For more information, please visit https://www.zerowastelcr.com/.

 

• The featured photographs were taken at Veolia’s Sustainable Christmas Market, which took place at the Recycling Discovery Centre in Gillmoss on Saturday 25 November. Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA) attended the event to launch the Zero Waste LCR ‘Choose to Reuse’ campaign. More images are available to download via Google Drive. Image credits: David Jones Photography.

 

• #ChooseToReuse campaign assets and suggested messaging are available to download here.

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Media Enquiries

Members of the media, for more information please contact:

Adam de Spretter Yates | Communications and Development Officer |

1 Mann Island, Liverpool, L3 1BP | 07976730362 | adam.despretteryates@merseysidewda.gov.uk

Disclaimer: Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority

An environmental project in the Baltic Triangle area of Liverpool has been helping to rescue and reuse unwanted clothes and textiles.

The Baltic Triangle Area C.I.C. used funding from the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority and Veolia Community Fund to run the Baltic Swap Shop project, with the aim of stopping clothes and textiles from going to waste.

The community-based initiative has been delivered by the C.I.C. to reduce waste, increase the availability of materials for reuse and recycling, and promote a sustainable and ethical approach to fashion consumption.

According to a recent analysis* around 5% of household bins locally contained textiles such as clothes and shoes, a lot of which could still be used. The same report showed that plastic items made up 11.9% of Merseyside and Halton’s kerbside residual (i.e. black bin bag) waste.

Alex Keyter, Project Lead at the Baltic Triangle Area C.I.C., said: “Textiles is one of the largest contributors to global waste and pollution, producing 92 million tonnes of waste each year and accounting for 10% of global carbon emissions. Fast fashion exacerbates this problem by promoting a culture of disposable clothing. We’re hoping we’ve helped address this issue by hosting Swap Shop Clothing Exchange events and engaging the diverse community of Liverpool in a fun, inclusive, and accessible way.

“The primary focus of the project has been to encourage people to consume less, reduce their environmental impact, and reuse materials that would otherwise be discarded. We hope we’ve helped to foster that sense of community and camaraderie in the Baltic Triangle area.”

The project has set out to collaborate with local businesses, schools and community organisations to raise awareness and encourage participation in the Swap Shop events. Baltic Triangle Area C.I.C. hope these networks and resources will help raise awareness of the issues in waste within the community.

Lesley Worswick, Chief Executive of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority, said: “Our Community Fund projects are always full of inspirational ideas. Local organisations such as Baltic Triangle Area C.I.C. can deliver zero waste and sustainability messages and ideas in a way that people can relate to in their own lives, which is a huge benefit to the local environment.”

Alex Keyter continued: “By promoting a more sustainable approach to fashion consumption we hope this project has helped contribute to a cleaner and more sustainable future for the Baltic Triangle area and encourages the community to adopt environmentally and sustainable responsible practices.

“Aside from the waste prevention element, the project has provided a platform for volunteers to gain valuable skills in event management and social media marketing. These skills can enhance their employability, contributing to the local economy by preparing them for future career opportunities.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:
– Pictures attached show Baltic Triangle Area C.I.C. clothes Swap Shop, 7th October 2023, Liverpool

– *Statistic from Merseyside and Halton Waste Composition Analysis 2021/22

– Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority is responsible for the disposal of municipal waste on Merseyside. Established in 1986 following the abolition of Merseyside County Council, it is a statutory Authority that works with all the local authorities on Merseyside – Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral and also Halton. MRWA takes a lead in advocating recycling, waste minimisation and safe and effective disposal of waste for Merseyside residents and operates (via a contract with resource management company Veolia) 16 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC’s) for householders in the Merseyside and Halton area wishing to recycle and dispose of their own waste.

– The MRWA and Veolia Community Fund 2023/24 has seen 13 community groups from Merseyside and Halton receive a funding boost to help make the region a cleaner and greener place. The financial support will see the groups help reduce household waste, encourage recycling and resource re-use, and prevent carbon emissions. Funding total is £164,945.00

Members of the media for more information please contact:

John Lally | Communications and Development Officer
Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority | 1 Mann Island, Liverpool, L3 1BP
Office: 0151 255 2568 | Email: john.lally@merseysidewda.gov.uk

Eligible participants for the questionnaire will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 of vouchers for a leading UK supermarket.

Zero Waste LCR (on behalf of Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority) has today launched a questionnaire to get a basic gauge of the current behaviours and opinions around food and food waste.

A Waste Composition Analysis which was carried out across all six districts of Liverpool City Region (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral) back in 2021, identified that 26.3% of residual waste bins contained food waste that could have been composted. The decomposition of organic waste in the form of methane is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide at contributing to climate change.

As such, the Food Waste Attitudes and Behaviours Questionnaire has been devised with a view to shaping future behavioural change initiatives, which will act as a pivotal component in the fight against food waste and climate change.

The questionnaire and subsequent £100 supermarket voucher prize draw is open to residents of Liverpool City Region, who are aged 18 years or over, and are wholly or partially responsible for their household’s food shop.

Eligible participants can find out more and take the 10-minute questionnaire here.

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Terms & Conditions

1. The promoter is: Merseyside Waste and Recycling Authority [MRWA is the public facing name for Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority, which is a statutory Joint Waste Disposal Authority under the Local Government Act 1985]; Whose registered office is at 7^th Floor, No. 1 Mann Island, Liverpool, Merseyside, L3 1BP.
2. This giveaway is open to residents of Liverpool City Region, aged 18 years or over except employees of MRWA, and their close relatives and anyone otherwise connected with the organisation or judging of the competition.
3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
4. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.

5. Route to entry for the competition can be found at Twitter.com/ZeroWasteLCR.
6. Closing date for entry will be November 1^st 2023, After this date the no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
7. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
8. The rules of the competition and how to enter are as follows:

Rules and How to Enter:

• To enter: Just complete our LCR 2023 Food Waste Behaviours Questionnaire (which can be found here: Food Waste Attitudes and Behaviours within the LCR 2023 (google.com).
• The promoter reserves the right to cancel or amend the competition and these terms and conditions without notice in the event of any unforeseen circumstances arriving, including actual or anticipated breach of any applicable law or regulation or any other event outside of the promoter’s control. Any changes to the competition will be notified to entrants as soon as possible by the promoter.
• The prize is as follows: £100 voucher for a leading UK supermarket, such as but not limited too ASDA, Sainsburys or Morrisons. Prize vouchers will be subject to the terms and conditions of the chosen supermarket, once transferred to the winner the promoter holds no responsibility for the vouchers use or limitations.
• The prize is as stated, and no cash or other alternatives will be offered. The prizes are not transferable. Prizes are subject to availability and we reserve the right to substitute any prize with another of equivalent value without giving notice.
• Winners will be chosen at random by software, from all entries received and verified by Promoter and or its agents
• The winner will be notified by phoneor an emailwithin 14 days of the closing date. If the winners cannot be contacted or does not claim the prize within 72 hours of notification, we reserve the right to withdraw the prize from the winner and pick a replacement winner.
• The promoter will notify the winner when and where the prize can be delivered or collected.
• The promoter’s decision in respect of all matters to do with the competition will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
• The competition and these terms and conditions will be governed by English law and any disputes will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England.
• The winner agrees to the use of his/her name and image in any publicity material, as well as their entry. Any personal data relating to the winner or any other entrants will be used solely in accordance with current UK data protection legislation and will not be disclosed to a third party without the entrant’s prior consent.
• Entry into the competition will be deemed as acceptance of these terms and conditions.
• This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook, Twitter or any other Social Network. You are providing your information to Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority and not to any other party. The information provided will be used in conjunction with the following Privacy Policy found at http://www.merseysidewda.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/MWDA-CORPORATE-PRIVACY-NOTICE-2018-FINAL-1.pdf.

Also, please note:

• MRWA’s decision as to those able to take part and selection of winners is final. No correspondence relating to the competition will be entered into.
• MRWA shall have the right, at its sole discretion and at any time, to change or modify these terms and conditions, such change shall be effective immediately upon posting to this webpage.
• MRWA also reserves the right to cancel the competition if circumstances arise outside of its control.
• The winners chosen will need to supply their home address for delivery of the prize voucher. Again, all data will be handled solely by MRWA and in accordance with current GDPR.

Thirteen community groups have been awarded a share of £165,000 to help the Liverpool City Region reduce, reuse and recycle more.

The money has come from the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA) and Veolia Community Fund 2023/24 which helps to support local waste prevention, reuse and recycling initiatives.

Earlier this year the organisations had to bid for the funding which will give them the financial resources to deliver waste-reducing behavioural change projects across the region.

Programmes include a tool lending library, cookery lessons to reduce food waste, clothes repair clubs, upcycling and restoration of unwanted furniture, food growing and community composting, amongst other things.

Project applications had to tackle one or more of the four priority household waste materials which have been identified by MRWA as key, namely Food, Electricals, Textiles and Furniture. An analysis* of waste in the Liverpool City Region highlighted that a greater amount of these materials could be reused or recycled. Projects can also include other household waste materials, for example paper, plastic, card and metals.

Chief Executive of Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority, Lesley Worswick, said: “Our Community Fund – which has been running annually since 2006 – gives groups the opportunity to look after the environment, bringing benefits to all of us. I think in this day and age people appreciate items as valuable resources rather than something which might be just thrown away.

“We’re always impressed with the ideas that come in and the creativity of the region’s grassroots organisations – this year we received 59 applications. Lots of the projects we have previously funded continue to deliver benefits beyond the first year, through their legacy and have an ongoing impact on participants’ behaviour, in many cases through new or continuing activities.

“I wish all our projects the best and look forward to seeing the impact they have.”

One project to previously clinch funding is Wargrave House LEAP College (now Ascent College) in St Helens, which in 2022 received £8000, and specialises in providing an autism learning environment for 19-to-25-year-olds.

The project saw the students set up a café and shop at the Lyme and Wood Learning Hub on Vista Road in Newton-le-Willows which, as well as being a place for local people to enjoy, is a space for students to learn and develop new skills. They have once again been successful in applying for Community Fund, receiving £8000 for their new Preloved Project.

Teacher and project lead at Ascent College Lauren Molyneux said: “The previous project was all about promoting more sustainable ways of living and for students to learn vocational skills in sectors like woodwork, horticulture, retail and hospitality. We used the funding to deliver a series of tailored and practical workshops and tutorials, which helped establish industry specific skills that have helped support our young adults as they transition from further education to vocational pathways, apprenticeships, employment, or higher education.

“We’re excited to receive funding once again and can’t wait to get started on our new eco project. We want to make it accessible for people to make sustainable lifestyle changes as well as building a community hub for people to access free or affordable activities for themselves and their families. The project will also enable our students to build vital preparation for adulthood skills.”

The successful organisations have got until March 2024 to deliver their projects.

ENDS

The successful projects:

Organisation	Project	Details
Ascent College (part of the Remarkable Group)	The Preloved Project	A food, furniture and textiles project, giving college students the opportunity for workshops and work experience in hospitality, retail, woodwork and horticulture.
Baltic Triangle Area C.I.C.	Baltic Swap Shop	A clothes reuse and recycling initiative promoting a sustainable and ethical approach to fashion consumption, hosting several swap shop clothes exchange events and collaborate with local businesses, schools and community organisations.
Bee Wirral C.I.C	Refresh pre loved furniture project	This project will take unwanted furniture left in empty Housing Association properties for reuse. There will also be volunteer training in furniture repair, restoration, and upcycling.
British Dietetic Association	Waste Warriors	A food skills project which will look to engage with over 3000 people, focussing on cookery, food-growing and composting.
Fierce Futures C.I.C.	Style Swap Social	A sustainable fashion initiative promoting second-hand style, saving money, and reducing waste, reaching over 600 people.
Global Feedback LTD	The Alchemic Kitchen	A food/cookery skills project delivering events and workshops to help people reduce food waste.
Kindfulness Coffee Club	Baby Kind	Baby Kind will aim to reuse nursery equipment (e.g. prams, cots) by donating to low income families, as well as holding a weekly Knit and Knatter group.
Liverpool Tool Library C.I.C.	Volunteer Co-ordination	This tool reuse/lending library will clean, de-rust, maintain and fix tools inhouse for a lending inventory, as well as run several textiles and furniture upcycling/repair workshops.
Liverpool World Centre	Re-think: the waste revolution	This project will tie in with schools and other education providers to look at waste in the food, electricals and textiles industries.
Squash C.I.C.	Waste not…food for thought	Will encourage integrated working and peer learning to help reduce food waste. 40 family cooking sessions will teach all about recycling and reuse, swap sessions, composting and clothes repair.
St Mary’s Church	St Mary’s Eco Garden	A food growing and cooking project at St Mary’s Eco Community Garden in Wirral, hosting weekly cookery sessions, recycling craft clubs and growing/composting classes.
Valley Community Theatre	Valley Vegheads	A food growing/cookery skills project which will also look to create a community kitchen garden, run gardening activities and six community swap shops.
Venus	The Repurpose Project: Breathing New Life into Old Textiles and Furniture	Furniture and textiles project which will host several upcycling workshops, a local pop-up shop, and work with local charities to reduce waste.

 

• *Statistic from Merseyside and Halton Waste Composition Analysis 2021/22
• Picture captions:

MRWA_LEAP_2022A – (l to r) Ascent College student Owen, Ascent Teaching Support Assistant Anne, Ascent Teacher and Project Lead Lauren Molyneux, at the opening of the Lyme & Wood Café and Shop, November 2022

MRWA_LEAP_2022C – visitors at the opening of the Lyme & Wood Café and Shop, November 2022

• Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority is responsible for the disposal of municipal waste on Merseyside. Established in 1986 following the abolition of Merseyside County Council, it is a statutory Authority that works with all the local authorities on Merseyside – Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens and Wirral. MRWA takes a lead in advocating recycling, waste minimisation and safe and effective disposal of waste for Merseyside residents.
• MRWA operates (via a contract with resource management company Veolia) 14 Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRC’s) for householders in the Merseyside area wishing to recycle and dispose of their own waste.
• The MRWA and Veolia Community Fund 2023/24 has seen 13 community groups from Merseyside and Halton receive a funding boost to help make the region a cleaner and greener place. The financial support will see the groups help reduce household waste, encourage recycling and resource re-use, and prevent carbon emissions. Funding total is £164,945.00

Eight community projects in the Liverpool City Region are helping people to cut food waste, eat healthier and save money after a funding boost. The projects have been given a share of £110,000 through the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority Community Fund 2022/23, which supports community reuse, recycling and waste prevention initiatives across the region. This week (6th to 12th March) marks Food Waste Action Week 2023, the UK’s biggest annual food waste reduction campaign, organised by the Love Food Hate Waste programme. The eight local projects are using the week to highlight how much food could be stopped from going to waste by shopping smarter, meal planning and improving cookery skills and use of ingredients. The organisations are delivering a variety of initiatives across Merseyside such as cookery classes, compost sessions and grow-your-own workshops to help reduce household food waste. One of the groups to receive funding is Liverpool-based Bay Tree Cookery Academy CIC.

Michelle O’Dwyer of Bay Tree, said: “Bay Tree Cookery Academy CIC has been running projects that work with vulnerable groups to teach food preparation, cooking and budgeting and food handling and storage skills over several years. Our latest project is targeting groups who benefit from learning skills that help reduce food waste, such as those living on fixed incomes and low incomes, people with disabilities, mental health challenges, unemployed people and veterans. “The unique aspect of this project is that we’re teaching skills to minimise food waste rather than just cookery skills. We’re focussed on shopping on a budget, food handing and hygiene, using leftovers, and evaluating portion sizes. It’s a serious matter, but we’re making sure everyone is having fun while they learn!”

The eight projects are:

• Bay Tree Cookery Academy CIC – Cook And Save (see pictures above).
• British Dietetic Association – Waste Warriors.
• Centre 63 – Remake Yourself Hub.
• Compost Works – Share Food And Compost The Rest.
• Farm Urban – Future Food Heroes 2.0.
• Knowsley Foodbank – Chloe Cooks.
• Porchfield Community Association
• Wargrave House College – Not Too Shabby

An estimated 106,064 tonnes* of avoidable household food is wasted in the Liverpool City Region each year. A lot of this could still be used and would save the average family £720** a year in groceries. It is this behaviour the projects are looking to change.

Councillor Tony Concepcion, Chairperson of Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority said: “We are delighted to support all of these projects. The facts show that on average we throw away over one hundred thousand tonnes of avoidable food every year on Merseyside – almost a third of the average general household waste bin. That includes millions of loaves of bread, whole chickens, litres of milk.

“Food waste is a big issue with significant environmental effects. Projects like these can get people to recognise that the food they buy exists within a circular economy – from farm to fork – while having a real impact in reducing household food waste and saving households money on grocery bills.”

The organisations have until the end of March 2023 to deliver their projects.

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Notes to editors:

The attached images show Bay Tree Cookery Academy CIC, 2023.

*MRWA LCR Waste Composition Analysis 2021/22

** https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.com/take-action/save-money-good-food-habits

The MRWA Community Fund food-saving projects:

Bay Tree Cookery Academy CIC – Cook And Save will try to cut food waste with 18×2-day cookery/training courses.

British Dietetic Association – Waste Warriors. The BDA has recruited 15 people from ten community cooking clubs to deliver 75 food waste cookery classes.

Centre 63 – Remake Yourself Hub. The Kirkby-based project is hosting food waste sessions.

Compost Works – Share Food And Compost The Rest is delivering 12 training sessions and 40 weekly support sessions for composting.

Farm Urban – Future Food Heroes 2.0. The next stage of the Future Food Heroes project is delivering seven community events and 72 training sessions with six primary schools, as well as six celebration events and a regional finale at Farm Urban.

Knowsley Foodbank – Chloe Cooks. Knowsley Foodbank is holding 40 food/cookery training sessions to five groups over eight weeks.

Porchfield Community Association – Porchfield Community Association is a clothes and food waste project which is offering 3×5-week cookery courses.

Wargrave House College – Not Too Shabby @ The Lyme@ Wood Learning Hub. This multi-material project is hosting workshops on food as well as furniture, textiles, wood and metals.

 

A share of £165,000 is up for grabs to help community groups make the Liverpool City Region a cleaner and greener place.

The funding – made available via the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority and Veolia Community Fund 2023/24 – is for community and voluntary groups, schools and not-for-profit organisations, who can reduce household waste, encourage recycling and resource reuse and prevent carbon emissions.

There is up to £30,000 for projects which cover a minimum of three City Region districts, and between £1000 and £8,000 available for projects which work solely at one local authority level.

Chairperson of Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA), Councillor Tony Concepcion, said: “Giving groups the opportunity to get involved in looking after their environment brings benefits to all and can help us appreciate items as valuable resources rather than something which otherwise might be just thrown away.

“We’ve seen that previous projects have continued to deliver benefits beyond the first year, through their legacy and ongoing impact on behavioural change, and in many cases through new or continuing activities.”

Bids must tackle one or more of the four priority household waste materials which have been identified by MRWA as key, namely WEEE (Waste Electrical & Electronic Equipment), Food, Textiles and Furniture. An analysis* of waste in the region highlighted that a greater amount of these materials could be re-used or recycled. Projects can also include other household waste materials, for example paper, plastic or metals.

Previous Community Fund projects have included local recycling guidebooks, cookery clubs to support healthy eating and reduce food waste, fruit and veg gleaning, restoring old furniture to sell for charity and refurbishing unwanted rugs for resale. In January one project held a climate change conference with secondary schoolchildren from across Liverpool City Region to help highlight wasted clothes and textiles.

Another organisation to have previously received funding was the British Dietetic Association, who have been running the Waste Warriors food waste reduction and cookery skills programme, thanks to £20,000 from the MRWA Community Fund.

Suzanne Mitchell, Let’s Get Cooking lead, said: “The opportunity to support a local community with our funding was a really powerful idea. We hope we’ve inspired households to think about new ways to save money by reducing the amount of food they throw away and growing their own produce using a community garden.”

Interested groups can apply via the MRWA website www.merseysidewda.gov.uk.

The deadline for submissions is 11.59pm on Sunday 26th March 2023. If groups aren’t sure whether their project is appropriate for consideration then they can submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) via email to MRWA before 5^th March.

Successful projects should receive the funding by mid May 2023 and will have to deliver their schemes by March 2024.

Organisations interested in this year’s Community Fund can:

• Apply online at www.merseysidewda.gov.uk.
• Contact the Authority: Community.fund@merseysidewda.gov.uk

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS: Sunday 26^th March 2023, 11.59pm

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