BRIGHT purple textile banks will help residents to turn their unwanted clothing into jobs for Conwy’s unemployed.

Crest Co-operative’s Purple Bank Appeal has been launched in a bid to increase the amount of job opportunities available to the unemployed and adults with learning disabilities.

Staff at Crest

This week non-profit recycling social enterprise Crest in Llandudno Junction, sited 16 new eye-catching textile banks at locations across the Conwy county.
Earlier this year Crest won the Conwy County Borough Council agreement to collect textiles from local residents. The successful purple bag kerbside collection scheme, has already created work placements for Conwy and Denbighshire residents. It is hoped that Crest’s Purple Bank Appeal will generate additional funds to combat unemployment.

Textiles collected will be sold at Crest Community Store, Ferry Farm Road Llandudno Junction. All funds are ploughed back into Crest to create jobs. Unwanted textiles including shoes, clothes and handbags can be deposited in Crest’s purple banks.

Sharon Jones, director at Crest Co-operative, said: “This is great news for local unemployed people. The Purple Bank Appeal will allow us to generate funds to offer further work placements and training at Crest.

“We have already helped hundreds of local people back into work. This would not be possible without the continued support of local residents,” she added.

Schools across Conwy have already benefited from Crest’s services. Blue textile banks have been placed on school grounds and in rural communities, with Crest donating £200 to each school for every tonne of clothing collected. 

The Bay View Centre in Colwyn Bay welcomed Crest’s purple bank this week. Other textile banks have been sited at Berthes Road car park in Old Colwyn, Station Road car park in Llanfairfechan and many other locations.

To find your nearest textile recycling bank click here.

ADULTS with learning disabilities enjoyed a day of fundraising for Children in Need.

The Work Opportunities team at Crest Co-operative made special Pudsey Bear ears. They spent the day selling home-made cakes and held a ‘Name the Teddy’ contest for Crest Community Store customers.  The group raised more than £80 for the cause.

CREST’S work in the community has been honoured during a prestigious awards ceremony.

At the Morgan Foundation Awards last week Crest scooped a cash prize of £5, 000. The recycling social enterprise was named runner up in the Best Entrepreneurial Social Enterprise category.

Crest was praised for supporting some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the North Wales. The funds will be ploughed back into the social enterprise to create more work placements for the long-term unemployed and adults with learning disabilities.

A SPATE of textile recycling bag thefts has sparked concerns for Conwy’s unemployed.

Recycling social enterprise Crest Co-operative in Llandudno Junction collects textiles from the kerbsides of 50, 000 homes as part of the Conwy County Borough Council
recycling scheme. Concerned residents have contacted Crest on several occasions over the last few months, after unmarked vans have picked up Crest’s purple
recycling bags.

“Future incidents could result in a lack of work placements for the unemployed, which could impact hundreds of people in the community. Our agreement with the council creates 11 work placements each week and has also created three permanent jobs in the last few months,” he added.

Incidents of stolen Crest purple recycling bags and clear media bags containing books, DVDs, computer games and CDs have been reported across the county. Members of the public are urged to look out for the two Crest recycling vans, which feature
Crest’s logo.

To report incidents of unmarked vehicles picking up Crest recycling bags call North Wales Police on 101, with as much information as possible including registration numbers.

Crest Co-operative operates a fortnightly textile collection service. Textiles are collected on the same day as garden waste collections. To request a purple bag call 01492
563463.

FareShare North Wales will be collecting food donations from members of the public at Sainsbury’s supermarket, Rhyl on Saturday, November 26.

FareShare is looking for enthusiastic volunteers, who are able to give up four hours of their time. Food donations will be distributed to community groups across Conwy and Denbighshire, which support the homeless and vulnerable.

To join FareShare’s Meal Appeal and become a volunteer visit http://www.fareshare.org.uk/?page_id=1244

To donate food visit Sainsbury’s supermarket in Rhyl on Saturday, November 26.

FareShare team up with Sainsburys during the Meal Appeal

Mark Izzard, manager of Glenhaven with residents David and Laura.

A FOOD poverty project has helped a centre for vulnerable people achieve award winning success.

FareShare North Wales, Llandudno Junction, started providing food to Glenhaven in Craig y Don in May of this year. This month the residential home for adults with learning disabilities, was honoured by national specialist accommodation group Potens during an awards ceremony.

Glenhaven scooped the Come Dine with me award, for providing healthy, high quality meals on a budget.

FareShare North Wales, run by Llandudno Junction based recycling social

Crest Co-operative, was established last year. Community groups for the homeless and vulnerable across Conwy and Denbighshire pay £15 per week and receive a staggering £90 worth of food for their contribution. FareShare works with local and national food suppliers to collect food that would otherwise be sent to landfill due to over orders or damages in packaging and re-distribute it to the local community.

Mark Izzard, manager of Glenhaven, said: “It’s quite shocking to realise the amount of food that would go to landfill, when there’s nothing wrong with it and it’s perfectly good.

“The quality is fantastic. The food is making a better life for the residents at Glenhaven and our award proves this. We have so much choice and can create healthy meals. We can now buy food that we couldn’t afford before.”

Since FareShare North Wales was launched in September last year more than 70 tonnes of good quality, in date food has been saved from landfill. Community groups across Conwy and Denbighshire have benefited from more than £90, 000 worth of food.

Sharon Jones, director at Crest Co-operative, said 23 community groups are currently benefiting from the scheme. She said: “We work with centres for the homeless, the elderly and many more community groups across Conwy and Denbighshire.

“It is fantastic news that one of our new community groups has won an award. FareShare is improving the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in North Wales. At the same time we are helping the environment.”

If you are a local business and would like to donate surplus food to FareShare North Wales, contact project co-ordinator Andrew Sturgess on 01492 596783.

David Whitworth starts his new position as a Working Links host.

UNEMPLOYED people over the age of 50 have been given a helping hand back into the workplace.  

Recycling social enterprise Crest Co-operative in Llandudno Junction, launched the Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) scheme in May. The 12 week placement has led to unemployed Conwy and Denbighshire residents gaining permanent work in warehouse, administration and retail positions. Other job seekers have gained the confidence to start further education courses.

Earlier this year Crest welcomed seven people over the age of 50. The European funded ILM course was hailed as a success after five people gained permanent employment and one person signed up for a further education course.

David Whitworth, 59 from Craig y Don had battled unemployment for two years after he was made redundant from a retail position.

He joined Crest Co-operative’s paid scheme and was given supported training to get back into work. David is now working as a reception host for Working Links in Colwyn Bay.

He said: “Crest has worked wonders for me. At Crest I was shown how to job search and it gave me a routine. The placement built my confidence up and opened up doors for me.

“It is hard to job search when you have no support, but at Crest I was supported and given the push I needed. It was 100 per cent worth joining the scheme.”

Crest recently opened their doors to a second group of four unemployed people over the age of 50. The paid work placements will allow the adults to gain experience in retail, supporting vulnerable people, administration and workshop duties.

Simon Plumpton, vocational trainer at Crest said: “The over 50s have great work ethic and drive. Employers recognised this. Some unemployed people have come to Crest, increased their confidence and then have completely changed their career path.

“It’s great to see them having the confidence to take on a new challenge at this stage of their working lives. We hope to continue to get people over 50 back into work.”

Staff from Viability, Colwyn Bay’s football in the community project take part in corporate volunteering at FareShare North Wales.

ECO-FRIENDLY businesses have helped to tackle food poverty in Conwy

Staff from NatWest and Viability in Colwyn Bay, stepped out of their normal working pattern and helped volunteers at FareShare North Wales recently. They worked to deliver food to the homeless and vulnerable in Conwy and Denbighshire.

FareShare North Wales was launched by recycling social enterprise Crest Co-operative in Llandudno Junction last year. FareShare has already benefited hundreds of disadvantaged people in Conwy and Denbighshire.

The environmental champions picked food orders at the FareShare warehouse and visited the community groups, who have benefited from food donations. Food, which is donated by local and national suppliers, would otherwise be sent to landfill due to over orders or damages in packaging.

Colwyn Bay businesses helped to deliver food to Touchstones 12, Colwyn Bay’s drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre and day centres for individuals with learning disabilities Prospects in Llandudno and Deganwy.

Mike Thompson, healthcare manager for NatWest, Colwyn Bay, said: “Volunteering at FareShare North Wales gave staff a chance to get involved in an excellent community project, where real benefits could be seen first-hand.

“Staff were overwhelmed by the volumes of food that would go to waste, if it wasn’t for Fare Share. Going out to see some of the beneficiaries really brought home what the project is delivering to the community,” he added.

FareShare North Wales has already diverted more than 100 tonnes of food from landfill since it was launched last year.

Sharon Jones, director of Crest Co-operative, said: “We are inviting businesses across North Wales to come and see how FareShare has benefited hundreds. Our team building days are fun and enlightening. Businesses will get the chance to help people who need it most in their community and at the same time help the environment by saving food from landfill.”

If your business would like to book a team building day at Fare Share North Wales contact Anna Glover, Publicity and Promotions Officer on 01492 563459.