The Pembrokeshire Remakery

Project Description:

Our project works towards legislation of zero waste by 2050 in the UK. A community approach is needed to achieve this where skills and knowledge are developed to make Pembrokeshire a better place to live in now and for future generations. Currently the Pembrokeshire Remakery is run on a completely voluntary basis and we have already saved 15 tonnes of household items from entering the waste stream. Every tonne of goods diverted from reuse can save 3.45 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of powering the average home for 3 months. We have sold 250 items back to the community at affordable costs and at the time of writing our local volunteers have contributed over 1260 hours of their time and skill which is growing monthly. We now see the need to upscale our operation and run a pilot project with two employed members of staff so we can deliver a more focused and targeted project to enable us to reach our goals.

Activities we propose to deliver are: (1) Facilitate and host repair and mending skills training on a 1:1 basis and in groups of up to six at a time. We will host drop-in sessions, workshops and repair cafes for the local community focused around re-use, repair, repurposing and environmental awareness.; (2) Operate a sales counter providing a local service of affordable second-hand goods and the resale of repurposed items generating a sustainable income stream; (3) Provide a community hub – with information, support and guidance on reuse and repair, including environmental issues, waste reduction and climate change. We will produce a toolkit to share our learning experiences with others; (4) To become a leading example in reducing waste that would otherwise go to landfill by taking donations of broken items, fixing them wherever possible, or repurposing them into new items.

Project Outcomes:

The project was popular in the community and its Facebook page was extremely active and popular, as were its workshops and item sales.  Two part-time jobs were safeguarded for the pilot project and have become sustainable jobs for the Pembrokeshire Remakery (supported by the Landfill communities tax fund) enabling the two project managers to be funded full-time for the project. 

Although the Repair Café created via the pilot and was well-established and sustainable, it was forced to close due to Covid-19 and this affected the communication and interrupted the positive, proactive activities relating to the project but is hoped this will continue to grow from strength to strength post-LEADER funding/post-Covid restrictions.

” It is hoped that some participants will go on to deepen their skills and knowledge, resulting in them set up of their own micro enterprise in the re-use and repair sector. As this Remakery project grows, so will the volunteer base with volunteers working and learning alongside the project team every day in every aspect - from repair and mend skillsets to being part of the team to drive the development of the project from organising, marketin, and advertising, data recording, retail and finance. Volunteering can develop new skills, boost confidence and advance career prospects, help start a micro-enterprise or kitchen table business. Skills and confidence can be gained that combat isolation and loneliness and help people get out and about in the world”.

Lessons Learned:

Ideally we would have been able to source/afford our own building or space and that would have allowed us to take on additional equipment as well as get established in one specific area for the trial before hoping to expand geographically into other areas.

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