Author: Clarity

A community group from Bootle has received a funding boost to help stop unused food from going to waste – by foraging and gleaning local farms and fields.

Taking Root, a project of Stanley Road-based Regenerus, has received almost £8000 from the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority Community Fund for The Big Community Glean Up – a project which is looking to stop food waste and to ensure good food gets into the hands of those who need it the most.

The word ‘glean’ is an old Celtic word which means to gather or scrape together and refers to the practice of going over the fields after harvest to collect any grain the farmer may have missed. Regenerus are working with the national organisation Feedback Global and farmers in Liverpool City Region, Cheshire and Lancashire to ensure that the produce farms don’t sell isn’t wasted. Instead, with the permission of the landowner or farmer, volunteers are able to pick fresh fruit and vegetables that would otherwise be disposed of or left to rot.

As part of the Big Community Glean Up volunteers are shown how to successfully forage for the food at farms, as well as community gardens and public spaces, then learn about the different ways to preserve and cook the produce at food workshops.

Ruth Livesey, Business Development Manager at Regenerus, said: “So far in November we have gleaned cabbage, cauliflowers, winter veg, onions and pumpkins.  Due to Covid-19 safety restrictions we have had to change our plans a little and go to fields in small groups rather than the minibus of volunteers we originally intended. However, the end result has been the same – the fresh produce we glean is distributed to local residents with the help of South Sefton Foodbank and community organisations back in Bootle where it is eaten and enjoyed.”

Regenerus were awarded the funding in August of this year, however the Covid-19 pandemic has forced various delays in delivery. This means the project has until June 2021 to be completed. By the end Regenerus hope to have rescued over a tonne of food that would otherwise have gone to waste.

Councillor Tony Concepcion, Chairperson of MRWA, said: “The whole idea behind the Community Fund is that there are local groups out there delivering recycling, reuse and waste prevention projects on the ground that we ourselves wouldn’t be able to. Using their knowledge of the subject and local areas they can make a real impact on people’s lives for the better. The Big Community Glean Up by Renegerus is a great example of this.”

Ruth Livesey, Business Development Manager at Regenerus, continued: “We are looking forward to 2021 when we will hopefully be able to take larger groups along to our gleaning expeditions, and bring back lots more fresh food which we will be sharing out at our community cook and eat events.”

ENDS

Notes to editors:

• Photo captions:

MRWA_TAKING ROOT1 – The Taking Root team on a glean at a local farm for cabbages

MRWA_TAKING ROOT2 – Taking Root team volunteer Andrew Craig foraging at an Ormskirk farm for cabbages that may otherwise have gone to waste.

MRWA_TAKING ROOT3 – The Taking Root team with boxes of gleaned cabbages that may otherwise have gone to waste.

• A spokesperson from Taking Root/Regenerus is available for further comment if requested.
• 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 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 2020/21 has seen 15 community groups from Merseyside and Halton share £150,000 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.

• The MRWA and Veolia Community Fund 2021/22 is anticipated to launch in February 2021.

 

 

A project to help householders in Liverpool save money and cut food waste is celebrating a funding boost.

Groundwork Cheshire, Lancashire and Merseyside has received £8,000 from the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA) Community Fund to run the ‘Let’s Speke About Food’ scheme which will see cookery workshops delivered to raise awareness of and help reduce household food waste.

An estimated 140,000 tonnes of food is wasted in the Liverpool City Region each year, a lot of which could still be used. It is this behaviour the project is hoping to change and will look to stop over 12,000 tonnes of food from going to waste.

Cook It classes will teach local residents practical cookery skills. These demonstrations – or cook and eat sessions – will focus on key Love Food Hate Waste messages linked to portion control, batch cooking and storage, Buy What You Eat and Eat What You Buy. Each workshop is focused around the production of a single meal and will be targeted at both cooking for families and for individuals. The workshops will use seasonal produce as well as utilising commonly leftover foods.

It was originally planned that these classes would be delivered in person, however due to Coronavirus and social distancing measures they will now be video recorded for participants to watch in their own time.

The eleven sessions (including two Christmas meals) will be accompanied by a recipe card featuring step by step instructions so participants can cook along as they watch. The videos will be produced and released between now and March 2021.

Groundwork Project Manager Brendan Cassin said: “Learning to cook gives people control over what they’re eating. By using step-by-step recipes householders will be able to cook low cost, healthy meals from scratch. It’s good for them as we are pushing healthy eating messages, and it’s good for the environment.

“We’ve had to change our plans due to Coronavirus but we’re still confident of delivering a great project for the people of South Liverpool and beyond!”

Councillor Tony Concepcion, Chairperson of MRWA, said: “All of our Community Fund schemes have been affected one way or another by Coronavirus, however that isn’t stopping them from delivering wonderful projects.

“Food waste is a big issue with a significant environmental impact – however, projects like Let’s Speke About Food can help have a real positive impact to see that waste reduced.”

As well as being made available for the Cook It video sessions, the 11 recipe cards will also be distributed to all 3700 homes under the management of housing association South Liverpool Homes.

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News to editors:

The attached pictures show Groundwork staff filming a Cook It video session:

MRWA_GROUNDWORK 1 & 3 – Justin Dalrymple (Project Officer) & MRWA_GROUNDWORK 2 – Brendan Cassin (Project Manager).

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 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 20/21 has seen 15 community groups from Merseyside and Halton share £150,000 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.

Fifteen community groups have been awarded a share of £150,000 to help the Liverpool City Region reduce, re-use and recycle more.

The money has come from the Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority and Veolia Community Fund 20/21 which was set up to help support waste prevention, re-use and recycling initiatives.

The fifteen organisations had to bid for the funding which will give them the financial resource to deliver waste-reducing behavioural change projects across the region.

Programmes include cookery clubs to reduce food waste, community recycling hubs, sewing classes and craft clubs, upcycling and restoration of unwanted furniture, clothes recycling and home composting workshops*.

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, Plastics, Textiles and Furniture. An analysis of waste in the Liverpool City 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, card, metals.

Chairperson of Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority (MRWA), Councillor Tony Concepcion, said: “We know that there are a lot of communities concerned about climate change and sustainable living. Giving groups the opportunity to get involved in looking after their environment can only bring 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.

“There has been some disruption with the Coronavirus pandemic but we’re confident that these projects will go ahead. I wish them all the best and look forward to seeing the impact they have.”

One organisation to have benefited from the Community Fund in the past is ReStore in St Helens. The shop on Peckers Hill Road in Sutton opened its doors to the public in the winter of 2018 and has again been successful in winning funding this year.

Primarily volunteer run, ReStore refurbishes unwanted furniture while also providing opportunities for the long-term unemployed. Using The Hope Centre’s extensive volunteer network participants are being provided with opportunities to learn DIY and retail skills, giving practical experience of working routines to help gain employment.

The Project Manager at ReStore Julie Waring said: “Our project is preventing valuable and reusable materials from being wasted, while at the same time giving local people practical work skills. I’m absolutely thrilled with the success of the shop, the amount of furniture being rescued and the ongoing support of the community.”

The impact of the 2018/19 Fund saw 12 projects divert 673 tonnes of material from disposal, 26,643 people directly engaged, participation by 50,533 volunteers, and a 1419 tonne reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions.

The successful organisation have got until June 2021 to deliver their projects.

ENDS

 Note to editors

• Image caption –

MRWA_RESTORE: staff and volunteers outside the ReStore St Helens shop

• *The successful projects:

1. Acronym Community Empowerment – From Disposable to Sustainable Fashion: Participants will learn how to make trendsetting bespoke garments out of everyday items, learn sewing techniques and have an opportunity to enter what they have designed, stitched and produced into a Disposable Fashion show to celebrate the project’s achievements. Newly created pieces will be sold or auctioned to fund further green awareness campaigns to widen the project’s impact or donated to support homeless support services.

 

2. British Dietetic Association – Let’s Get Merseyside Saving: the funding will be used to reduce avoidable household food waste through a series of training clubs, a waste-saving tips pamphlet and a community event.

 

3. Centre 63 – Remake Yourself: this ongoing programme will continue to provide sewing classes and upcycling furniture workshops while supporting the skill development of young women. It will concentrate on unwanted furniture and textiles and the Centre 63 youth club will be focused on the reuse and recycling of plastic and food waste activities.

 

4. Changing Communities – ReStore St Helens: The money will be used for staff support at the ReStore shop in Sutton which sees volunteers upcycle donated/unwanted furniture. This is then sold to the general public.

 

5. Emmaus Merseyside – The Reuse Crafting Courtyard: Emmaus Merseyside is a charity that provides a home, as well as education, training and work to people who have experienced homelessness. Emmaus will build on previous work by creating a reuse courtyard and training their Companions in techniques for safe deconstruction and decommissioning of domestic waste items. They will also engage with local schools and communities to raise awareness of the scale of the challenge of waste reduction and how we can each make a difference.

 

6. Family Refugee Support Project – Around the World in 80 Dishes: The Family Refugee Support Project (FRSP) provides long-term, specialist psychotherapy and support to refugee and asylum seeking family members in Liverpool. The Around the World in 80 Dishes project would enable FRSP to create cooking classes for all service users run by service users to inform and encourage cooking, reduction of waste and UK seasonal growing.

 

7. Global Feedback Ltd – Your Food Needs You: a programme of quirky, high-profile food-waste-busting events, pop-up ‘Food Labs’ and urban harvesting days will bring Merseyside communities together to learn about, appreciate and enjoy food, and simultaneously reduce waste.

 

8. Groundwork – Let’s Speke About Food: a programme of practical cookery sessions, a set of 6 recipes using leftovers, and home composting workshops in South Liverpool will aim to minimise household waste associated with food.

 

9. Hoylake and West Kirby Sea Cadets – Waste Not Want Not: Two teenage sea cadets will run this waste project which will encourage recycling, reuse and waste prevention at the Hoylake and West Kirby Sea Cadets unit on Grange Road, West Kirby.

 

10. Liverpool World Centre – 10 Tonne Clothing Channel: This project will reduce the amount of textiles going to waste by raising awareness of textile consumption and waste; enlisting schools in the 10 Tonne Challenge to recycle textiles; engaging 9 schools champions to learn about the textile journey of an individual garment, and create innovative case studies for how to reduce, reuse and recycle.

 

11. Regenerus – The Big Community Clean Up: This will prevent food waste through engagement with local residents via various activities including a hands on ‘glean’ at a farm or urban forage trip; learning about different ways to freeze / preserve / store produce at practical food workshops; learning to cook and eat that produce together at community meals.

 

12. United Giving Ltd – United Together: This will look to increase reuse and prevent and reduce waste with a unique “united together” project supporting emergency tenancies and tenants in most need referred by the housing officers of Riverside Housing, social workers and Halton Asylum seekers, Brennan Lodge and numerous other organisations that support the transition of people from homelessness to having their own place to live.

 

13. Wirral Change Ltd – The Community Reward Scheme: The funding will help to reintroduce a Community Reward Scheme offering incentives for people who recycle. The project will also show people how to up-cycle waste and prevent items from going to waste.

 

14. Wirral Hospice St Johns – Recycle, Reuse and Relove: The adult hospice aims to encourage more Wirral residents to help reuse and recycle their unwanted and preloved items and generate income for local hospice care.

 

15. Wirral Youth Zone – Waste Not Want Not @ The Hive: will provide young people who attend The Hive with the knowledge, skills, confidence to cook simple, healthy and well-balanced meals through cooking sessions “challenges” and food shopping. The project wants to ensure young people can learn to cook healthy food on a budget and save money for their family whilst learning and thinking about food and waste as a resource to be valued.

 

 

• 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 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 2020/21 has seen 15 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 £151,854.25

 

Members of the media for more information please contact:

 

John Lally

Marketing and Communications Officer

Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority

Direct Dial: 0151 255 2568

John.lally@merseysidewda.gov.uk

General enquiries: 0151 255 1444