PAST NEWSLETTERS
May 2010
February 2010
December 2009
Shropshire's first Social Enterprise Conference a huge success (20/07/10)
See more my clicking on the link
http://socialenterpriseambassadors.org.uk/news/news-details?nid=99
Christopher Breakwell wins 2010 Pride of Shropshire Award
A lifelong learning pioneer who has overcome redundancy and family heartache was crowned the 2010 Pride of Shropshire Champion.
Christopher Breakwell, who works at the South Shropshire Furniture Scheme in Ludlow took top prize in a glittering ceremony, held at Shrewsbury Town Football Club's stadium. Chris was one of nine category winners crowned at the event run by the Shropshire Star in conjunction with Shropshire Partnership, Muller Dairy, and a host of other local sponsors and was awarded overall Champion. He was nominated for the Learner Award which he wone, by Elaine Griffiths of the Home-Start service. She first met Christopher when she was running a training course for people looking to teach adults. Chris had been teaching for the Ludlow group for many years but legislation and funding rules meant he had to gain some form of qualification if he wanted to teach adults. Elaine said "With a degree of confidence issues, he completed the course including delivering two teaching sessions to the group, but struggled with the written work - not helped by the death of three close family members" Christ spent many sleepless nights trying to complete his course work on time, before the "huge achievement" of passing his exam in January. He now works at the Furniture Scheme as a specialist, delivering IT skills to learners with a range of difficulties. Jean Jarvis described him as a credit to the organisation.
. Christopher receiving one of his awards.
Click here for more information on Mental Health First Aid training
Ambassadors programme to end in September (17/06/10)
Gemma Hampson, Social Enterprise magazine
The £1m Social Enterprise Ambassadors programme will end this September after three years. There are currently 28 ambassadors in the Social Enterprise Coalition-run programme, including the Big Issue’s John Bird, HCT Group CEO Dai Powell and Divine MD Sophi Tranchell. Together, they aim to promote social enterprise to key audiences, such as the private sector, schools and policy makers.
http://bit.ly/9hJm8B
Click on the link below to see 10th June 2010 Social Enterprise Ambassadors News
http://socialenterpriseambassadors.org.uk/news
Click on the link bleow to see Jean Jarvis on You Tube talking about Marketing at SSFS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrFBiKpLjnI&feature=youtube_gdata
Cameron says social enterprise is key to Big Society reform
Gemma Hampson, Social Enterprise magazine
Social enterprise is at the heart of a ‘deep and serious’ reform of public services as part of the Big Society agenda, Prime Minister David Cameron said today. Following a meeting with ministers and community activists, Cameron said the new government would support social enterprises, mutuals, co-ops and charities to give them greater involvement in the running of public services. Funds from dormant bank accounts to establish a Big Society Bank have been confirmed, although there is still no mention of the amount of cash pledged. http://bit.ly/bFp4HK
13th May 2010
Rural community groups get help to reduce waste and recycle more
A new project in Shropshire, funded by Awards for All, is working to help rural communities take more action on waste and recycling. Shropshire Community Recycling Network wants to talk to groups that are already active in the community to help them involve recycling in the work they already undertake. They are offering grants, advice and other support.
The Network is made up of social enterprises, charities and community groups who work on recycling projects in Shropshire. Many of these groups provide an example of how waste issues can be linked to social issues. For example several groups across Shropshire work to help people on low incomes get hold of decent furniture at low cost. By accepting donations of furniture, they are able to reduce the amount of waste thrown away in the county while supporting individuals and families.
The network has appointed Ben Proctor as an outreach worker to provide support to local communities. He works with the Network's co-ordinator Rosemary Colllie.
Ben explained "Shropshire is really lucky to have so many people working to improve their local communities. There are many areas where community groups might be able to save money or improve their services by thinking about reducing waste or using recycled materials. Or it might be that with just a little help they could reduce the amount of waste they or their community sends to landfill. The recycling network is already there to support groups who are focused on recycling, my role is to help those who would like to take more action on waste issues".
To find out more visit www.scrl.org.uk call Ben on 07904 123498 or e-mail ben@benproctor.co.uk.
April 29th 2010
Grants for community recycling projects
Good news! Grants are now available for recycling projects across Shropshire. Following on from the success of the grants awarded in 2009-10 and with the continued support of Shropshire Council, Shropshire Community Recycling Network is now able to offer grants to even more organisations involved in recycling.
Successful projects have come in all shapes and sizes including a greenhouse built from plastic bottles; the Shrewsbury Green Guide to green businesses and websites; recycling waste products into new fashionable clothes and accessories; wormeries and composting projects; a one stop service for donating unwanted furniture for re-use, repair and recycling; a bicycle repair and recycling service.
Rosemary Collie, SCRL co-ordinator commented “the grant scheme has been an excellent way of encouraging more and more groups to get involved in recycling. I am looking forward to still more exciting new developments this year which will help Shropshire reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.”
Projects should be practical in their nature and result in a reduction of waste either by limiting its generation, reusing it or recycling it.
As well as the grant scheme, SCRL can also come and work with your organisation and community groups to help you get started with recycling.
If you have a project idea or would like some support please contact Rosemary Collie, SCRL Co-ordinator on 01584 877751 or rosemary@furniturescheme.co.uk
James Campbell one of our volunteers describes working at SSFS in an article in South Shropshire Housing Association's magazine The Key. April 2010
8th March 2010
Buy a recycled bike for just £60 in Ludlow
Budding cyclists around Ludlow will find it much easier to get on a bike. South Shropshire Furniture Scheme has formed a partnership with Re-Bike from Ironbridge to ensure there is a steady supply of recycled bicycles in the town. The bikes are second hand but have been fully serviced and safety checked by Re-Bike before being offered for sale. Most adult bikes cost just £60.
Re-Bike is a Community Interest Company set up to get everyone in Shropshire cycling sometimes. They rely on Shropshire folk donating their unused bicycles. The best ones they refurbish and offer for sale. The others they strip for parts. As part of this new partnership South Shropshire residents will be able to donate their unwanted bicycles to South Shropshire Furniture Scheme. The Furniture Scheme will pass these on to Re-Bike.
The bicycles are available at South Shropshire Furniture Scheme's warehouse in Weeping Cross Lane. Initially there will be a small number of bicycles on show but if they are not suitable there are plenty more available.
Ben Proctor, who is one of Re-Bike's Directors said “We are really excited that Ludlow and South Shropshire people are going to have easy access to our bicycles. We are not sure what the demand will be for recycled bicycles in South Shropshire. Obviously we hope that at £60 for a serviced and safety-checked vehicle that plenty of people will want to buy a bike. If demand goes up then we will be able to supply more bicycles to the Furniture Scheme. But we will continue to rely on people donating their unwanted bikes. We accept any bicycle in any condition”
Jean Jarvis from the South Shropshire Furniture Scheme said “It's great that we will be able to offer bicycles at low cost to local people. Re-Bike is a social enterprise just like us working to make a real difference for Shropshire people. We are looking forward to being able to accept donations of bicycles because we know that they can be recycled right here in Shropshire.”
For more information about Re-Bike CIC visit www.re-bike.org.uk. For more information about South Shropshire Furniture Scheme visit www.furniturescheme.co.uk
24th February 2010
Volunteers at the warehouse of the South Shropshire Furniture Scheme recently made an exciting discovery. Among a number of boxes of donated books was a quantity of old books in very poor condition. Damp and covered in mould, they seemed to have been stored in a basement or outbuilding. However, before consigning them to the skip, our book volunteer carefully examined them and found some to be of considerable rarity and interest.
She patiently dried them out and cleaned them up with proprietary book cleaning materials and they are currently on display at the Renaissance shop in Tower Street.
For a full list of the rare books click here.
FUNKY FURNITURE @ LUDLOW COLLEGE
South Shropshire Furniture Scheme is joining forces with Ludlow College Art & Design students to create funky furniture this Autumn.
The project idea came when Jean Jarvis, the Furniture Scheme’s CEO, spotted a funky chair in a designer furniture store in Ibiza, when she was holidaying with friends.
Jean says, “Actually one of my friends spotted the chair in the store and said the furniture scheme could do that. I thought yes, we could, and when I got back from holiday I got on to it!”
The Furniture Scheme will provide the furniture using pieces they can’t do anything with, which would have ended up in the wood skip, so a brilliant way of up-cycling - one step beyond re-cycling.
When finished these will be on display at the Ludlow College, and then a window at the Renaissance Centre in Tower Street, Ludlow and on the SSFS website where they will be for sale.
11th December 2009
South Shropshire Domestic Violence Network has joined forces with South Shropshire Furniture Scheme to provide emergency home startup kits for people who have to be rehoused in our area as a result of Domestic Violence/Abuse. We are able to provide funding to allow for basic furniture, cooker, toaster, kettle and microwave to be provided by SSFS where a referral is made as a result of Domestic Violence/Abuse. SSFS holds this money and will allocate the furniture and goods to each case on referral by agencies. They will keep records of the referral and allocation of furniture etc. and will update SSDVN each time they do so.
If your agency needs to make a referral to SSFS as a result of rehousing due to Domestic Violence/Abuse, please will you do so by telephone to SSFS: Serena Penn-Harvey on 01584 877751
She will deal with the case discreetly and SSFS will offer a ‘one stop shop’ for the family being rehoused.
11th November 2009
Local help to develop alternative sources of income for community groups and organisations.
South Shropshire Furniture Scheme has secured funding from the BIG Lottery to support the development of social enterprises across Shropshire. South Shropshire Furniture Scheme is a well established and successful social enterprise based in Ludlow. As a result of the funding from the BIG lottery SSFS will use their expertise and experience to offer help to other organisations. Whether a small community group, individual or well developed organisation SSFS will be able to offer high quality support to enable groups to become more financially independent and sustainable. Following a detailed initial assessment of the needs to be addressed participants will join a visit to the Furniture Scheme, guided and facilitated by the Social Enterprise Ambassador for the West Midlands Region, Jean Jarvis. This will be an excellent opportunity to find out more about the social enterprise approach; to explore how to develop a social enterprise; how to address local issues without depending on grants; and to stimulate, exchange and share ideas with other participants. The project will also offer specialist advice and training and signpost to relevant training courses, information and support, all tailored to the specific needs of the organisation.
For further information please contact James Cooper on 01584 877751 or by email james@furniturescheme.co.uk or visit the SSFS website www.furniturescheme.co.uk
6th November 2009
South Shropshire Furniture Scheme recognised for successful partnership with the private sector
Social Enterprise Ambassadors
A partnership between South Shropshire Furniture Scheme (SSFS), run by Jean Jarvis and Veolia Environmental Services, has been named as one of the top three recycling partnerships in the country.
The team was pipped at the post in the LARAC (Local Authority Recycling Advisory Committtee) awards 2009, but received a coveted runner up certificate for its strong partnership over the last year, which has seen more than 300 tonnes of material diverted from landfill. Successful partnerships between social enterprises and private businesses are becoming more commonplace. Several of the ambassadors’ enterprises are linked with traditional companies, with worthwhile and sustainable results all around.
http://tinyurl.com/yj5x48f
15th October 2009
Positive News
"Trading for People and Planet" is South Shropshire Furniture Scheme's motto and for this organisation it is certainly an ideal they live up to. The scheme is an inspiring social enterprise that takes what people would normally throw away, restore it and put it back into circulation. It initially began with just furniture but now they are branching out into computers, white goods and reselling unwanted books. At the core of all this activity South Shropshire Furniture scheme hold that it is the people who are involved that are the ones that really count. Click on this link to read more from "Positive News from around the world" 14th October 2009.
http://tinyurl.com/yjxoslb
Press Release
Date: 7th October 09
Mezzanine Floor for South Shropshire Furniture Scheme Warehouse
SSFS have been granted £40,000 through the Community Grant enabling them to install a mezzanine floor and ramp to reach it, to improve efficiency in the warehouse for second hand furniture.
Jean Jarvis Chief Executive of SSFS said “We are absolutely delighted to receive this grant. We opened our warehouse in Ludlow in September last year, and needed a mezzanine floor across the remaining area of the warehouse, to enable larger and heavier items of stock to be stored on the upper level using fork lift trucks.
The purpose of the project is to improve access for low income families to the low cost furniture in the warehouse. The warehouse was becoming too crowded which meat that it was not always easy for our beneficiaries to view the furniture properly. It was also difficult for the staff and volunteers to work in the warehouse and develop their skills. We will also buy lifting and handling equipment which will help us to move furniture to and from the mezzanine floor and enable volunteers to gain new skills. We hope to have this completed early next year".
For more information please contact Jean Jarvis on 01584 877751 or email jean@furniturescheme.co.uk or visit the SSFS website www.furniturescheme.co.uk
27th July 2009
Furniture scheme awarded top mark
The South Shropshire Furniture Scheme has been officially recognised for its benefits to society and to the environment.
The Ludlow-based charity, which collects and redistributes household items to need people, has received the Social Enterprise Mark. The mark is a label which tells customers that a product or service comes from a social enterprise and is creating a social or environmental benefit.
Chief executive of the furniture scheme Jean Jarvis said: “We are absolutely thrilled because we are the first one in the West Midlands to have a Social Enterprise Mark.” “It was an initiative that started in the south west but now they are reeling it out across the country. They are going to prelaunch it as a national mark.”
“Not only are we the first ones to get it but the have asked me if I can champion it in the West Midlands as well”
Jean Jarvis and son Andrew Jarvis-Nunn, celebrate the scheme’s Social Enterprise Mark award.
Press Release
Date:25th June 2009
Big Lottery Funds South Shropshire Furniture Scheme as Social Enterprise Showcase
...enabling them to share their expertise with local groups!
South Shropshire Furniture Scheme (SSFS) is to work with local charities and other Southern Shropshire organisations to help them move away from grant dependency and become more self-sufficient. The £441,639 Big Lottery funded project through the BASIS programme is called Sustaining Rural Communities and over the next three years groups will have the opportunity to visit this successful social enterprise in Ludlow to access training and advice from a team of social enterprise experts.
Jean Jarvis CEO of SSFS and West Midlands Social Enterprise Ambassador said today “I can’t tell you how thrilled we are to be awarded this grant and to start to help groups to look at ways to become more financially robust. We have developed into a social enterprise over more than a decade, starting first as a totally grant dependant charity in 1994 and then gradually diversifying to become almost completely self-sufficient. We have learned lessons along the way and we want to pass these on to others to allow them to accelerate the process - helping them to look at the way they operate through new eyes and ultimately become more independent. Our organisation was founded to help others, especially those who are disadvantaged, and over the years we have provided assistance and training to literally thousands of people. We are now going to be able to take this one step further by helping other organisations who work with disadvantaged people.”
The project will start in September. Until then for more information please contact Jean Jarvis on 01584 877751 or email jean@furniturescheme.co.uk or visit the SSFS website www.furniturescheme.co.uk http://www.socialenterpriseambassadors.org/
http://www.furniturescheme.co.uk/
South Shropshire Furniture Scheme Receives Lloyds TSB Funding!
South Shropshire Furniture Scheme, based in Ludlow is celebrating having received a grant for £62,000 from the Lloyds TSB Foundation for England and Wales. The funds will cover three years salary and management costs for their new Volunteer Co-ordinator, Serena Penn-Harvey.
“This is a very exciting opportunity to develop the service we provide for our volunteers - I am very much looking forward to the challenge of this new post” said Serena. “ We have a range of current volunteering opportunities such as reception/shop work in the Renaissance Centre and our Church Stretton shop, carpentry and computer recycling, collecting and delivering furniture throughout South Shropshire and helping in our warehouse in Ludlow. We are very flexible and will try to match peoples available time to the opportunities we have”
The Furniture Scheme was founded in 1994 and distributes donated household items to people on low incomes, last year it redistributed furniture to around 260 families and individual, provided training opportunities to 130 people and diverted over 250 tonnes of waste from landfill. The scheme was also involved in the flood recovery efforts. It's Chief Executive, Jean Jarvis, is the West Midlands Social Enterprise Ambassador.
Jean Jarvis Chief Executive of SSFS said, “We are absolutely thrilled with this grant, it is such good news for us in these difficult times and will make such a difference to our organisation and enable us to provide a supportive and inclusive environment for volunteers from all social backgrounds allowing them to develop at their own pace.
Anyone interested in finding out more about volunteering or for further information can c ontact us at 7-8 Tower Street, Ludlow, telephone 01584 877751, or email serena@furniturescheme.co.uk or visit our web site at www.furniturescheme.co.uk .
In November 08 we started opening the warehouse to the public every week on Wednesday and Friday from 10am - 4pm. We intend to increase the days we open over the next few months until we are open full time. New announcements will be on this website.
On 18th September 2008 South Shropshire Furniture Scheme officially opened it's new warehouse in Ludlow. The new warehouse will give people much greater access and choice of low cost household items. There is ample parking and the warehouse is accessible via public transport - it is a 15 minute walk from the railway station and the 702 bus passes the door.
Jean Jarvis CEO declares warehouse open.
Jenny Brown Ludlow College, Jean Jarvis CEO SSFS, Philip Dunne MP, Cllr Martin Taylor-Smith
From PSE local news
Government Tribute to South Shropshire Furniture Scheme's support for flood-hit communities
Congratulations to South Shropshire Furniture Scheme, who were recognised at a Downing Street reception with Floods Recovery Minister John Healey. Twenty-nine charities and voluntary organisations who raised money and gave practical help attended the event, including our local social enterprise, which worked with the Local Authority to help families who had been flooded.
Flood Recovery Minister John Healey said:
“I have made many visits to areas that were devastated by last summer's floods as Flood Recovery Minister. I am always struck by the way in which communities have come together to help and support each other. That's why I asked local authorities and others to nominate representatives of local charities and voluntary groups they felt had gone above and beyond the call of duty to help local people at that extremely difficult time.
“I have been really impressed by the efforts these organisations have made, on many occasions staffed by people who themselves had seen their own homes damaged by the floods. These charities, and the people who run them, are a great credit to this country and our communities. They deserve our thanks and recognition for their efforts.”
Jean Jarvis, Chief Executive of the South Shropshire Furniture Scheme said:
“The South Shropshire Furniture Scheme was in a unique position to give assistance immediately after the first overnight flooding. We were involved from day one and the local authority commissioned our services to give information, advice and guidance to those affected. We were able to help by loaning and indeed giving household items and support to people – some of whom had lost all their possessions and were in a state of shock. We are still assisting people now who have not yet been able to return to their homes.
John Healy Flood Recovery Minister presents the certificate
to Pat Allen & Jean Jarvis
7 April 2008
South Shropshire Furniture Scheme takes on bulky waste
From Monday 14 th April, the bulky waste collection service in South Shropshire will be operated by South Shropshire Furniture Scheme, a charity and social enterprise.
Donald Macphail, managing director of Veolia ES Shropshire Ltd said: “Veolia currently operates the bulky waste collection service in South Shropshire on behalf of the Shropshire Waste Partnership. We have subcontracted this service to the South Shropshire Furniture Scheme and they will be collecting with the aim of re-using any suitable materials, reducing the waste that currently goes to landfill.”
Jean Jarvis Chief Executive of SSFS and director of the Shropshire Community Recycling Network (SCRN) said “This is a really exciting development. The contract will give us wider access to the household items that people throw away, giving us a larger supply of re-useable items to redistribute to people on low incomes. We have had huge support from the Shropshire Waste Partnership and Veolia have great confidence in our ability to deliver this contract. We are joining a very elite UK group of community enterprises delivering this kind of service – which is great news for Shropshire .”
Joy Blizzard, waste initiatives officer for the Shropshire Waste Partnership said: “Often furniture and other items of bulky waste put out for collection could be reused but people don't have the means of disposing of it other than by using the council collection service. The South Shropshire Furniture Scheme will be sorting out items that can be reused and taking them out of the waste stream. Reusing something is even better for the environment than recycling materials which need reprocessing. So, if it has life left in it, make sure it's reused!”
Residents of South Shropshire who have bulky waste material that they believe is suitable for recycling should call the Customer Service Centre on 0845 678 9009. A representative of the South Shropshire Furniture Scheme will then contact them to arrange a collection date.
Items including business waste, building waste, hazardous waste and general household refuse cannot be collected using this service.
ENDS
Veolia Environmental Services is the UK 's leading waste management company employing circa 13,000 people nationwide and serving over 13 million residents. Globally, the company employs 80,700 people and serves more than 45 million inhabitants across 35 countries. Veolia Environmental Services is the only worldwide provider of a full range of services for handling solid and liquid waste. It provides waste management and logistics services , as well as materials recovery and recycling. Veolia Environmental Services generated revenue of €9.2 billion in 2007. The company is part of Veolia Environnement, the world leader in environmental services. With more than 300,000 employees, Veolia Environnement is a global operator providing tailored solutions to meet the needs of municipal and industrial customers in four complementary sectors: energy management, freight and passenger transportation water and waste. Veolia Environnement recorded revenues of €32.6 billion in 2007.
Further information can be obtained by visiting the websites:
www.veolia.co.uk and www.veoliaenvironnement.com  25/09/07 Renaissance Centre Tearoom gets Revamp
South Shropshire Furniture Scheme (SSFS) has received a £5,000 grant from Big Lottery's Awards For All.
|
