A new re-use shop in Glastonbury has opened and will continue with help from Somerset Council and SUEZ recycling and recovery UK’s Waste Not Somerset Fund.
The shop is run by a small group of brilliant local volunteers and opened to the public on Saturday 1 March, welcoming many people through its doors at the Red Brick Building.
The opening was a success with around 50 people dropping in, some with donations including electronics such as speakers, DVD players and gardening equipment. There were even a few first sales of the pre-loved items.
The shop takes donations of items from the local community and, where possible, fixes them to make them usable again.
Household items are also available to buy at a reduced cost, with new stock added depending on donations received. The public are also welcome to donate their pre-loved items for resale.
Funds from the sold items will be used to benefit other local groups and organisations invested in reducing waste and CO₂.
The shop will initially be open weekly at the Red Brick Building on Fridays and Sundays, from 10am to midday (subject to volunteer availability).
A spokesperson for the re-use shop committee said:
We were so pleased to welcome many people from the community to support us on our launch day. It has taken a lot of dedication from the volunteers to set this up.
We’re all passionate about reducing waste, saving money and supporting the circular economy and the re-use shop is a great example of this.
We are grateful for all the support we have received from those involved, including the facilities manager at Red Brick Building and the RBB Board.
Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council Lead Member for Transport and Waste said:
Reducing waste and loving the things we own for longer is a great start towards a more sustainable future.
We welcome these community initiatives which show that locals are committed to a sustainable Somerset.
Lily Morton, Senior Community Liaison Manager at SUEZ said:
This is a brilliant example of the groups we support in the community, coming together to achieve something great! Re-use is one of the best things we can implement and encourage to work towards a more circular economy.
This wouldn’t have been possible if it wasn’t for the passionate residents who provide their time and dedication to set up projects like the reuse shop!
The fund is managed by Somerset Community Foundation, a grant-making charity that helps build strong communities where everyone can thrive, by funding local charities and facilitating local giving and philanthropy.
Kirsty Campbell, Senior Programmes Manager at Somerset Community Foundation said:
It’s been a privilege working with Glastonbury Repair Café on this project. They have shown such dedication and perseverance in getting the re-use shop up and running. The shop will be a great benefit to the local community, and also more widely to the environment by reducing waste and championing a circular economy. We’re looking forward to seeing how it grows in the coming months.
The re-use shop is being supported by CAG Somerset, a not-for-profit organisation that provides free support to a thriving network of local Community Action Groups. They provided one-to-one support to Glastonbury repair cafe helping them to navigate the process of finding a venue and getting the project off the ground.
CAG Somerset is also funded by Somerset Council and its collections contractor SUEZ and is managed by Resource Futures.
Jinny Uppington, CAG Somerset Lead said:
CAG Somerset are thrilled to support the opening of the Glastonbury re-use shop, a space dedicated to helping people extend the life of items through repair and reuse.
The shop is a testament to the commitment of local people to encourage sustainable living and reduce waste, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have. Please go and visit them to find out more ways you can support reuse locally.
The re-use shop committee are looking for volunteers, if anyone would like to find out more or see how they can help they should get in touch with the Laura from the committee via email: lb.hpc3@gmail.com.
For updates follow the Glastonbury Re-use shop on social media.
