iUpcycle will provide valuable resources including workshop space, materials and tools for unemployed residents to start repairing, painting and upcycling furniture. Users of the workshop can access the space 6 days a week (Mon-Sat) during the shops opening hours where they will access practical and theory training sessions in upcycling, recycling and business skills. The workshops are volunteer led and users are encouraged to share and learn new transferable skills with other like-minded members of the community. The aim is for users to start generating their own income from the restored and repaired furniture they have generated from the community’s household waste. Users will be guided through basic transferable skills including learning to use search engines for research purposes, being able to use printing facilities, basic construction, painting, and other upcycling methods. Our trained staff will also give introduction talks to teach people about health and safety .

What we'll deliver:

• Provide a professional workshop area
• Provide tools, paints, materials, equipment
• Offer business advice & selling platforms

Why it's a great idea:

The project is designed to inject positive thinking, encouragement, ambition, motivation, learning, building confidence and communication. By empowering people into a creative work-driven atmosphere we are giving users back their confidence to re-enter any type of work environment. This may be because people have been out of work for a while due to lack of suitable employment, being on maternity for lengthy periods of time or just because unemployed people want to learn how to profit from their creative talents by setting up their own business selling refurbished furniture. The project is designed to encourage future self employment whilst gaining charity shop and retail volunteering training helping to give people the confidence to get back into work or education thereby generating a future income and fulfilling long overdue ambitions and personal goals in whichever field they may wish to go into in the future.

Steps to get it done:

• first finished and sold creation of a workshop user
• first self assessment tax return submitted to HMRC
• decrease in number of job seekers claiming benefits
• purchase of tools, paint, equipment & materials
• interviews and selection of users (recruitment process)
• advertising items for sale in store and online

iUpcycle is a spin-off from the growing success of Free Upcycling Workshops EN8, funded by the National Lottery fund on 17 March 2018. The aim is to bring the community together in order to share skills and benefit from each others knowledge & practical experience. The syllabus involves researching creative ways of updating tired looking, unwanted items. We consider colour therapy, mood boards, space, design, style and vibe/feelings or purpose you want your piece to reflect. The retired generation are keen to share their knowledge of old dying arts and trades such as french polishing and other traditional crafts.By using retired craftsmen to help deliver practical sessions the project simultaneously addresses loneliness in isolated communities. If funding is received we will be able to create a practical environment for Users who can use the facilities anytime the shop is open. Throughout, users will be registered, interviewed, trained and monitored through progress tracking.