The aim of the THINK PINK THINK LOCAL theme is to raise awareness that the only GUARANTEED way to ensure that all the benefits from local residents discarded clothing and other textiles are used to create benefits for the LOCAL community.
Clothing collections provide a good income for charitable and commercial organisations, who in turn create employment and social benefits, unfortunately, in most cases, these jobs are created in other areas, and the charitable benefits are usually decided by a central policy, which is no guarantee of any LOCAL benefits.
We aim to CHANGE this by developing a local industry that will develop a service capable of creating a number of jobs for local residents, keep all the benefits local and raise funds for LOCAL causes through recycling textiles and clothing.
What happens to the clothing?
The clothing is taken to our Recycling Centre in Saltney and hand sorted by our staff and volunteers, with the good reusable items kept for sale at our AFFORDABLE CLOTHING outlet in Shotton. We specialise in providing good quality clothing for children and teenagers at an affordable price.
Items like bedding, towels and curtains are kept to assist less well-off residents to furnish their homes; we do this through referrals from agencies such as Age Concern, Day Centers and Housing Associations.
Cushions, Pillows and Quilts are provided to Homeless organisations and Dogs Homes
Bric a Brac and household items are given to schools and other community organisations to raise funds at sales etc.
Items that we can’t reuse or recycle locally are purchased by registered members of the Textile Recycling Association and are used in industry or recycled back to the original fibre to be used again.
Funds Raised by Placement of Banks Include;
Since May 2009 our “Bright Pink Clothing Banks” have raised over £20,000 for charities such as;
- Save The Family over £3,000 raised, so far.
- Miles of Smiles Chester over £2,000 raised, so far.
Miles of Smiles Picture Gallery
And a further £15,000 rose for many organisations and groups throughout the local community including;
- Saltney, Community Centre.
- Treuddyn, Village Hall.
Our Recent Achievements;
Chester’s, Dee 106.3, “Local Ethical Business of the Year 2010”.
Runners-Up in the 2010 Morgan Foundation Entrepreneur Awards.
Morgan Foundation 'Against All Odds' Award - Highly Commended.
Shortlisted for the Welsh Recycling award 2010.
Registered, Environment Wales, Project.
Unlimited award level 1.
Unlimited award level 2.
What we have done;
We have employed 89 paid training positions under the future jobs fund scheme since the 1st of November 2009.
We have employed 6 part time staff.
We have also employed 9 full time staff.
We have given donations to 19 local charities.
We have had over 400 local Volunteers working with us.
We have worked with over 20 primary schools and 16 high schools in Flintshire to organise collections and give money back to the schools.
We have helped to divert 400 tonnes of textiles from possible landfill.