Scrap metal and other items can boost support for homeless charity in Carlton

Emmaus Village Carlton is appealing to people to take any scrap metal, cardboard, old clothing and books – even if they are worn or damaged - to their centre.

Donated items in these categories can be bagged up and passed to a recycling company who buy in bulk - raising money to provide vital services for those who have been homeless.

The charity, which supports 42 formerly homeless people, sent out the message during national Recycle Week

The charity’s on-site Home Store sells furniture and household items, as well as clothing, books and bric-a-brac.

Re-use and recycling manager Tom Blight said: “We’re already well known in the area as a charity that collects and resells unwanted furniture as well as many other items in our Home Store, now we want people to know we can raise funds from other things too. We sort through everything that people donate and if items aren’t saleable, we make sure we bag up any scrap metal, cardboard, clothes and books to taken by the recycling company.”

Over the past 12 months the charity has recycled over 195 tonnes worth of items in this way.

Christian was homeless for nearly 12 months before Emmaus Village Carlton gave him a place to live. When he was at his lowest point, the charity’s support made all the difference.

He said: “I lost my mum and then six weeks later I lost my dad. Then when Christmas came, I started to spiral downwards and things went from bad to worse. I couldn’t cope with normal life and ended up homeless, living in the woods for nearly a year. Now, thanks to the support of Emmaus, my life is back on track.”

Along with others being supported by the charity, Christian now helps to run the Home Store and often works as part of a team processing items ready to be collected for recycling.

He added: “We’re really proud of the work we’re doing to help reduce our waste. We hope to be able to increase the amount being recycled and decrease how much needs to be thrown away. People are ever so generous in bringing in their unwanted stuff to be sold and we sort through mountains of donations every month. To help us improve, we’re also asking people to double-check that what they are dropping off is useful to us. There are some items that sadly we’re unable to either sell or recycle, including old style televisions, office equipment, baby equipment, video tapes and duvets.”

Items for sale or recycling can be dropped off Monday to Saturday 9.30am - 4.30pm and Sunday 10am - 4pm, at their site on School Lane in Carlton. To book a free collection for larger items, call 01234 720826 or visit www.emmaus.org.uk/village_carlton