Too polite? Third sector responds to Pickles

Lancashire has a proud history of supporting the community waste sector – even prior to the Localism Act – supporting the Lancashire Community Recycling Network for over 10 years.

Lancashire is the fourth largest Council in England, and we have a well-established network of reuse groups. Five of our furniture reuse organisations (FROs) provide bulky waste collection services on behalf of eight of our councils:

• Exsel CIC in partnership with West Lancashire and South Ribble councils,
• Hyndburn Used Furniture Store in partnership with Rossendale and Hyndburn Councils,
• Furniture Matters in partnership with Lancaster, Wyre and Blackpool Councils,
• Bulky Waste Collectors CIC (a partnership of Refurb Fylde and Wyre Ltd and Helping Hand) in partnership with Fylde Borough Council.

This does not mean the community waste management sector in Lancashire is not ‘polite’ though! Our FROs are professional, experienced and committed to community resilience and empowerment. They are part of one of the most vibrant Community Recycling Networks in the country with Community Sector Development capacity building and project management support funded through the Lancashire Waste PFI Project.

Partnership

Most recently, Lancashire has also broken the mould in service delivery with the Care and Urgent Need Support Scheme (CaUNSS). Eight FROs from across the region are working in partnership to collect good quality unwanted and surplus furniture and supply it to people in need on behalf of the Authority.

Over 1700 referrals have been completed, seeing 750,000 being invested into the eight groups over the first 12 months of the pilot. In the face of cuts to grant funding and an increased need felt in communities across the country, this is essential sustainable funding for these groups, enabling them to maintain vital local support and services.

This is the Circular Economy in action – rather than paying for new goods from a private company based elsewhere, the Authority are making best use of tax payers’ money by investing in the services of 8 Lancashire-based social enterprises. This is a dual saving – not buying new, and not landfilling unwanted or surplus items.

Instead, the Authority is supporting reuse activity of experienced and professional FROs. Alongside reuse activity, each FRO supports also marginalised people through training and employment opportunities, supporting the long term unemployed or formerly homeless (for example) to become independent and economically active.

There is so much to gain across numerous Authority budgets in investing in the third sector and the many benefits they offer. We would love to see more partnerships with FROs across the country having seen it work so well in Lancashire!