STUDENTS from Coleg Llandrillo Cymru cooked up a feast from food that would otherwise be sent to landfill, to mark Crest Co-operative’s 15th birthday.

Catering and Hospitality students at the Rhos-on-Sea college selected food, from the FareShare North Wales warehouse. They transformed the in-date food into a delicious meal for more than 40 people.   

Crest Co-operative directors, staff and supporters came together to celebrate 15 years of recycling on Thursday, June 6.

Guests were able to view a 15 year history of Crest Co-operative’s work in the community. The social enterprise was launched in 1998 and has operated several enterprises over the years. The company began as two innovative businesses – Red Box, which produced handmade jewellery and CTS, a graphic design and printing service.  The business provided disabled and unemployed individuals with opportunities to gain skills and qualifications.

To download a 15 year history of Crest Co-operative  click here.

Since 1998 Crest Co-operative has:- 

• Helped more than 1, 035 unemployed people
• Supported more than 100 adults with learning disabilities
• Provided 64, 629 hours of volunteering opportunities
• Provided 37, 795 hours of community payback on behalf  of the probation service.

During a week of birthday celebrations, Crest Co-operative held a day of fun for families outside Crest Community Store, Mostyn Broadway, Llandudno. Free hook a duck was provided by housing association Cartrefi Conwy, free facepainting, a tombola and birthday celebration cakes and drinks were on offer. Families took part in a free wet sponge throwing game and children won prizes. The Ghostbuskers and Tudno FM played live music throughout the day.  Free facepainting took place at Crest’s Colwyn Bay store on Station Road.

Crest Co-operative’s birthday photo gallery can be viewed below.

STAFF at Crest Co-operative attended a reception on Monday, June 10 at           10 Downing Street to receive their Big Society Award, and meet the Prime Minister.   

Staff from Crest Co-operative meet Prime Minister David Cameron

Crest Co-operative is a sustainable recycling social enterprise, operating a number of recycling initiatives. Crest works to divert functional, household and electrical goods and food away from landfill. Restored household items are sold in two community stores at affordable costs and food is distributed to homeless and vulnerable people through Crest’s FareShare North Wales project. The process creates employment for the long-term unemployed, people with disabilities, and ex-offenders, who work in their warehouses and stores at Crest Co-operative.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “These awards are a chance to pay tribute to those making a valuable contribution to their community, the real champions of the Big Society, but perhaps more importantly, I hope they will motivate many others to take action, get involved and drive change in their area.”

Sharon Jones, Chief Executive of Crest Co-operative, said: “Visiting 10 Downing Street was a wonderful experience. We were honoured to be selected for a Big Society Award.

“We spoke to David Cameron about our work in the community and he congratulated us. We were informed we were only the second Welsh non-profit organisation to be selected, since the awards began in 2010, which is fantastic.”

A total of 77 organisations have been honoured with a Big Society Award since 2010.

Join us to celebrate Crest Co-operative’s 15th birthday. A day of family fun will be held at Crest Community Store, Mostyn Broadway, Llandudno, on Saturday June 1st. Birthday celebrations will take place from 10am-3pm.

We will be offering free celebration cakes and celebration drinks and will be setting up a gazebo in the Mostyn Broadway coach park (next to the shop). Enjoy FREE children’s facepainting, crafts and a hook a duck. Prizes will be on offer at Crest’s tombola.

Our staff will be getting a soaking in the stocks of our wet sponge throwing game. How good is your aim? We will be offering prizes.

The Ghostbuskers will be performing during the day outside our store and community radio station Tudno FM will be entertaining customers.

Crest Co-operative’s mascot, Tommy Textile, will be making a few appearances. Our staff will be giving away free balloons.

Good news! Crest Community Store has introduced payment plans.

Furniture for a FIVER! Saturday 18^th May

Crest Co-operative will be holding a ‘Furniture for a Fiver’ day!

We will be selling wardrobes, cabinets, coffee tables and many more items of furniture to the public for £5 each. We will have items for sale that have been on the shop floor for a while or that just need a little bit of TLC!

The Furniture for a Fiver day is part of Crest’s campaign to encourage the public to help us save furniture from landfill.

All we ask is that items ARE NOT RE-SOLD, we are selling these items for personal use only. We aim to offer Furniture for a Fiver to as many people as possible, so please be aware that we will be asking you to limit your purchases to 4 items per household.

Come and join us! Furniture for a Fiver will run from 10am-1pm on Saturday, May 18 at Crest Co-operative’s warehouse, Brierley House, Ferry Farm Road, Llandudno Junction, LL31 9SF.

Crest Co-operative’s team of staff will be volunteering in the community to mark the 15 year anniversary of the recycling company.

Employees of the social enterprise, have appealed for public suggestions. They hope to volunteer in the community to celebrate Crest’s 15^th birthday. The team of a more than 10 staff will be putting down their work tools for a day during the first week of June and hope to lend a helping hand to a good cause in the Conwy county.

If your community group is in need of some extra help from a team of volunteers, please write to Crest Co-operative at Brierley House, Ferry Farm Road, Llandudno Junction, LL31 9SF, with your suggestion.

Please include your name, the name of the suggested community group, the work that you would like the team to undertake and your contact details.

Crest Community Store, 21 Station Road, took a step back in time at the weekend.

It was decorated in 1940s style for the Colwyn Bay Forties Festival.

Thanks to Ann Bland, Crest’s Colwyn Bay shop supervisor.

Crest Community Store in Colwyn Bay

HOMELESS people and North Wales residents living in hardship will benefit from free donations of food.

FareShare North Wales will deliver food donations to Rhyl Night Shelter, ARC Communities Ltd, Conwy Foodbank and Dan’s Den, throughout 2013.

FareShare North Wales is run by social enterprise Crest Co-operative. Last year Crest was named Social Enterprise of the Year Wales and was awarded a cash prize of 

£1, 000. The funds will be used to help the four community groups.

Tinned and frozen food, turkey crowns, cereal, juice and Easter eggs, are just some of the items that have been delivered to the community groups over the last few weeks. Each community group will receive more than £3, 000 worth of food (retail value) in 2013. The in-date food would otherwise be sent to landfill, due to over orders or damages in packaging. The food is donated by food manufacturers across the UK.

The FareShare North Wales warehouse is located in Llandudno Junction and food is delivered to 33 community groups across North Wales, who pay a membership fee.

Rhyl Night Shelter, which is run by crime reduction charity Nacro, has been operating in the town for 14 years. The shelter provides emergency accommodation for persons aged 18 and over and promotes progress towards settled accommodation and greater independence. The Crescent Road centre is open every day throughout the year and offers breakfast, a meal and a place to sleep at night. From December 21 2012 to March 13 2013, the night shelter filled 619 bed spaces and received requests for help from 61 homeless people.

Service users at Nacro Rhyl Nightshelter

John Jason Hallwood, 52, has been homeless for several years. He said: “When I come to the Nacro Rhyl Night Shelter I get a warm meal and a warm welcome. Food is so important, it’s a basic need. The staff are brilliant. Rhyl Night Shelter is the most positive place on the North Wales coast for homeless people.”

Rhyl Night Shelter service user Wayne Granger, 44, praised the shelter and the work of FareShare North Wales. He said: “The night shelter is a godsend for homeless people. You get breakfast, a meal at night, a cup of tea and a bed. Food shouldn’t be wasted when there are people who need it. We have had Sunday dinners from the FareShare food, with turkey.”

ARC Communities Ltd runs two drop-in facilities for the homeless and people struggling with alcohol problems in Colwyn Bay and Rhyl. Hot meals, refreshments, showers, clothing facilities and support services are provided. The organisation also runs a Street Drinkers Outreach Service in Rhyl.

The free food donations from FareShare North Wales will benefit ARC’s two drop-in centres, in Colwyn Bay and Rhyl. The Colwyn Bay drop in centre serves 20-25 homeless and vulnerable people daily.

Ruth Cole from ARC Communities Ltd, which operates as a Community Benefit Society, said: “From April – December 2012 we registered 57 new participants at the centre and saw over 4942 participants over the threshold.

“In that 9 month period, ARC served a whacking 11, 100 meals to participants in Rhyl and Colwyn Bay, costing in excess of £11, 000. This funding must be raised from fundraising initiatives and donations, such as those provided by Crest Co-operative.”

FareShare North Wales staff and volunteers deliver food to ARC communities LTD.

Non funded, voluntary organisation Conwy Foodbank (formally Conwy Foodshare) works to feed people across the county, who are in crisis and unable to afford food. People may find themselves in financial difficulty for many reasons including family issues, relationship breakdowns, debt and illness. People in crisis are referred to Conwy Foodbank through professional associations. Support workers and organisations, which have referred service users, can collect food parcels from drop off points across Conwy.

Sharon Jones, CEO of Crest Co-operative, said: “We wanted to use the prize money from Crest’s success in the social enterprise awards, to support these vital community services.

“The community groups will receive free food from FareShare North Wales each week. During the year, the food will contribute to meals for hundreds of service users,” she added.  

If you are interested in becoming an ARC Communities Member Shareholder, a volunteer or would like to donate food or funding, contact ARC Communities on 01492 535636 or e-mail arcoffice@arccommunities.org.uk.

To find out more about Conwy Foodbank visit www.conwyfoodbank.co.uk.

The Victorian Extravaganza committee with Andrew Bowden, CEO of Cartrefi Conwy and Anna Glover, Marketing Manager at Crest Co-operative.

Crest Community Fund has supported Llandudno’s Victorian Extravaganza!

The extravaganza received a grant of £500 from Crest Co-operative’s fund to help with the cost of a community stage.

Here we are on the streets of Llandudno, taking a trip back in time to the Victorian era. We are pictured with housing association Cartrefi Conwy, the main sponsor of the stage.

Crest Co-operative has launched a new short magazine for 2013!

To download your copy of The Recycler click here.