Community RePaint: A Helping Hand for Hearts and Minds in 2011

In 2011, householders, traders and paint manufacturers donated 343,957 litres of paint to Community RePaint schemes, which then distributed 217,112 litres to community groups and individuals saving 565 tonnes of CO2 – the equivalent of taking 192 cars off our roads - and providing 766 volunteer and training opportunities. The network now has over 65 schemes across the UK with four new schemes about to start at the beginning of 2012.

Community RePaint helped to make Britain a healthier, happier place last year by supporting over 17,300 groups and individuals to transform their local environment with leftover, reusable paint.

Working together with Heart Research UK, Community RePaint schemes helped to create three ‘healthy heart floors’ in NCP car parks, with brightly painted murals encouraging drivers to take the stairs. The designs, which feature the charity’s mascot, Hartley Heart, were painted with the help of local young people and Community RePaint provided the paint

John Lloyd, Midlands Regional Executive of Heart Research UK, contacted Community RePaint and led the initiative. “We were delighted with the generous support we received from Community RePaint for our healthy heart floors, which help to highlight the importance of keeping your heart healthy in a fun, easy and educational way, as well as brightening up car parks.”

Community RePaint also brought a splash of colour to the lives of the tenants of Mulberry House in Blackpool. Mulberry House provides a safe and supportive environment for people overcoming alcohol and drug addiction, and was completely redecorated with paint from Community RePaint project, Wyre and Fylde. Founder and Manager of Mulberry House, Keith Stevenson, said: “Not only has the work given a freshness to the whole house and changed it from simply a place to stay to somewhere that feels like home.”

Last year, the team from Princes Trust in Newham received a whole ‘rainbow’ of paint from Community RePaint to brighten local lives. If you know of a local community group that needs paint, please get in touch with your nearest scheme by clicking on www.communityrepaint.org.uk and entering your postcode.

To find your nearest donation point visit the Community RePaint website www.communityrepaint.org.uk

Project Synopses

Resource Futures helps WRAP understand recent reductions in food waste

Resource Futures has recently helped WRAP to estimate how much household food waste has decreased nationally in recent years, with the recently published “Synthesis of Food Waste Compositional Data 2010”

Best estimates ever of what’s in our rubbish

Defra has published a study carried out by Resource Futures which provides the best estimates to date of what’s in the ‘national rubbish bin’.

Research into reuse of household items through online portals

In 2011, Resource Futures carried out WRAP funded research into how household items are reused through online portals such as eBay, Freegle and Gumtree. The research included a detailed survey on internet user habits regarding online exchange and sought to understand the reasons for not using such sites.

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