• £220,000 awarded to support 21 community groups in Greater Manchester working to cut waste and promote reuse and recycling
• Recycle for Greater Manchester Community Fund, now in its fourth year, uses proceeds from sales of preloved household items in Renew Shops
• Projects supported include initiatives to rescue unwanted bikes, reuse digital devices, tackle food waste and bring communities together

A total of 21 community groups across Greater Manchester are set to benefit from £220,000 in funding to support innovative projects that tackle waste and encourage reuse and recycling.

Now in its fourth year, the Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) Community Fund has awarded a new round of funding for local community and voluntary sector groups focused on creative solutions for recycling, repairing or reusing household waste throughout the city-region. The fund is managed by the Greater Manchester Environment Fund (GMEF), the UK’s first regional environmental impact fund.

All of the successful projects this year are receiving money from the fund for the first time, securing between £2,000 and £20,000 each. The projects were chosen from a pool of nearly 70 applications, each recognised for their commitment to sustainability and delivering social value for their communities.

What the successful groups will focus on includes:

• Innovation awards: Two grants of just under £20,000 each have been secured by Rochdale Science Initiative C.I.C and the charity Become United, who will each carry out their work across Greater Manchester. Rochdale Science Initiative will be launching their Inspiring Communities for a Sustainable Future project, which will deliver waste management workshops with disadvantaged communities. Become United will deliver targeted engagement sessions with diverse communities, providing resources in a range of languages to inspire better recycling.

• Textiles: Eleven of the projects will focus on tackling textile waste. Flixton Primary School PTA will collect preloved uniforms, shoes, books and toys to extend their use and instil sustainable attitudes amongst their pupils. The Repurpose Rochdale project by Rochdale AFC Community Trust will target those not in work, people with disabilities or additional needs and other marginalised groups to help them learn valuable skills in furniture restoration and textile upcycling.

• Food waste: Another key theme of this year’s projects is helping communities through the cost-of-living crisis and helping families to save money by cutting food waste. Gorton Food Hub’s Healthy Me Healthy Communities project will offer courses to help people manage their budget and boost their cooking skills, while Cracking Good Food’s Kitchen Call Out will collect donated kitchen equipment and redistribute it to people who are moving into new homes after homelessness or crisis.

• Cycling: Manchester Cycling Academy CIC and Your Trust Rochdale are keen to get more people on their bikes as a free and eco-friendly way to get around. Each of these projects will rescue bikes destined for waste and refurbish them before making them available at an affordable price to local people. They will also both offer bike maintenance skills to participants and the public.

• Tech: Bridging the digital divide in Greater Manchester is also high on the agenda. Tameside Community Computers CIC will expand into Oldham, collecting unwanted devices via the district’s network of libraries and connecting them with those without a way to get online. Recycle-IT will open a new community hub within a local shopping centre, enabling them to recycle more devices and provide educational workshops on digital inclusion.

• Children and families: Arts Let Loose CIC will deliver free workshops in Salford to local families, showing them how they can waste less, recycle and re-purpose items in a fun and creative way. Take Action Together’s Re:Play project will transform waste materials into new creations while inspiring families to adopt more sustainable lifestyles.
   

The annual Community Fund comes from the sale of preloved household items at Renew shops across Greater Manchester. Money raised at the Renew shops also results in an annual donation to Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity, supporting efforts to address homelessness and rough sleeping.

Cllr Tom Ross, GMCA lead for the Environment, Waste and Recycling, said: “I’m pleased to see the appetite for this funding is still strong and that we have been able to support another round of excellent projects.  

“Greater Manchester is full of passionate and dedicated people who are inspiring their communities to take action to reuse, repair and recycle household waste. I look forward to seeing these projects progress and help us reach our sustainability goals.”

Dan Carolan, Greater Manchester Contract Director for SUEZ, said: “It’s exciting to see all the different types of projects supported by the Community Fund this year and we’re proud to be able to fund it through the great work of the Greater Manchester Renew project. Each year we’re able to give back to the community whilst saving hundreds of thousands of items from waste. I look forward to seeing how this year’s projects develop and to see the difference they’ll make in their local area.”

Mike Brooks, Director of Tameside Community Computers, said: “This funding award will mean so much to, not only us, but to the people we support. It will mean that we can cover a greater number of collections that will result in more refurbishments and support to our clients. It will also result in fewer devices going to waste, as we will be able to advertise in more places and for a greater period of time. It’s a win-win for everyone and we will be reducing our carbon footprint even more. Many thanks for the award."