Southampton's Scrapstore

Make waste things…play things!

The Scrapstore is a registered charity based at Thornhill’s Eastpoint Centre for 20 years. This volunteer run project collects unwanted goods from industry and sells them to make valuable resources available to the community.

Everyday businesses and shops throw away surplus and waste goods such as paper, card, plastic, foil, wallpaper, fabric, wood, sticky-backed plastic – the list is endless! Many of these things are destined for landfill sites yet are ideal for children’s activities in arts and crafts, in schools and voluntary groups! If you know of a company that could be discarding useful goods, that children would love to create things out of, please tell them to get in touch!

As industry reduces waste by donating goods with arts and crafts potential, community members, in turn, get to work with quality materials. Remember the Scrapstore 3R philosophy: Re-Use, Reduce and Recycle! Indeed, the Scrapstore is an important resource for Thornhill as it helps local people in a number of areas:

Education: by teaching the value of recycling, as well as development of practical skills.

Play Opportunities: providing cheap resources by using salvaged materials.

Economically: by providing massive savings for members.

Environmentally: by helping to ease waste management and reducing the usage of raw materials and energy.

Saving Time: by being a central resource for a wide range of suitable materials

The Scrapstore also offers the opportunity for family learning and helps the community to acquire new skills and share ideas. ‘Learning by doing’ can help volunteers, who are always welcome, in areas like:

• Shop sales and Customer Service

• Handling, Processing and Packing materials

• Warehouse Maintenance and Stock Management

• Web site, Data Base and IT

• Van Driving and collecting materials

• Art & Craft Workshop Delivery

• Management Committee Member

• Intermediate Labour Market workers

With 344 member groups reaching 28,000 adults and children, The Scrapstore is certainly a worthwhile and valuable asset to Southampton and its surrounding area. Membership is open to any local group or individual in the region that provides care, education, art or play for children or adults.

To complement the materials in the Scrapstore, there is an Art and Craft Shop which stocks paint, glue, brushes and much more - all at very reasonable prices. There is also a convenient car park adjacent to the store.

To join simply pop into the Scrapstore, fill out a form and pay the annual membership fee. Prices begin at £11.

For more information, or to request a membership form in the post, phone Scrapstore on 023 8040 2810, email: southampton.scrapstore@virgin.net or visit our website: www.southamptonscrapstore.org.uk.

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