Supporting Residents and Community groups

THE ZERO WASTE COMMUNITY FUND

The Zero Waste Community Fund invests in great projects that will benefit communities across the Liverpool City Region, and which have the potential to recycle, upcycle and prevent waste, save money and avoid landfill.

The funding benefits individuals and communities by providing training opportunities, making environmental improvements, supporting isolated or vulnerable people and helping households struggling on low income.

TO READ ABOUT THE 2024-2025 ZERO WASTE COMMUNITY FUND PLEASE CLICK HERE

All of the projects we support represent a real range of great ideas and show just how creative people can be when it comes to thinking of new ways of encouraging people to change their waste disposal habits.

To see previous successful Community Fund projects CLICK HERE

To see previous Community Fund projects in action take a look at our YouTube page 

Community Fund 2023/24

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

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.

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.”

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

The successful projects:

OrganisationProjectDetails  
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 ShopA 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 projectThis 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 AssociationWaste 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 SocialA sustainable fashion initiative promoting second-hand style, saving money, and reducing waste, reaching over 600 people.  
Global Feedback LTDThe Alchemic Kitchen       A food/cookery skills project delivering events and workshops to help people reduce food waste.  
Kindfulness Coffee Club  Baby KindBaby 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-ordinationThis 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 ThoughtWill 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 ChurchSt 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 VegheadsA food growing/cookery skills project which will also look to create a community kitchen garden, run gardening activities and six community swap shops.  
VenusThe 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.