London CRN gains funds for recycling advice work

In its first year, the Sharing Resources programme gave assistance to over 60 organisations through one–to-one consultancy sessions and group training workshops (see letsrecycle.com story). This included assisting a partnership of five community groups providing a kerbside recycling service for 85,000 households.

London CRN has now gained 60,000 for a second year from the Association of London Government, London Remade, the Western Riverside Environment Fund and Equal, the European social fund programme.

Worku Lakew, who chairs the London CRN management committee, said: “Many groups have benefited already from Sharing Resources and we look forward to more people reciving support from the programme. The Network seeks to support its members in expanding kerbside collection of recyclables, white goods and furniture, community composting in London and in servicing hundreds of thousands of London households.”

One of the first initiatives in this year's programme was a community composting workshop held at the end of July. The workshop looked at changes to the regulations involving animal by-products and provided emerging and existing community composters with funding advice.

Targeted
Neil Carrett, Sharing Resources co-ordinator explained: “The programme will provide support to groups in areas such as business planning, funding applications and PR and marketing. To enable greater benefit and effect for those receiving the support, as of this year the programme will take a more targeted, in-depth approach.”

The new approach will see support targeted at a “sub-regional” level. As well as the London-wide capacity-building consultancy and training activities, Sharing Resources will be focussing on three projects in Hackney, south east London and the Western Riverside area. More intensive assistance will be given to projects in these areas to maximise the diversion of tonnage from landfill and the creation of jobs.

The Hackney project has gained 220,000 from the European Equal fund to go alongside the Sharing Resources programme. London CRN has been contracted by the London Borough of Greenwich to deliver the parts of the Thames Gateway Development Partnership Equal Programme that relate to Hackney, in partnership with the London Borough of Hackney.

For more information on how to benefit from the London Community Recycling Network's Sharing Resources programme, email sharingres@lcrn.org.uk or call 020 7053 2120.