29.06.07
Landmark furniture store opens its doors

RE:SOURCE, the £1 million Bodmin based furniture reuse project celebrated its opening on Friday. Partners, funders and supporters were invited for a sneak preview of what the shop has in store for the residents of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

The store, which opens to the public in the first week of July, is a not-for-profit furniture and appliance reuse centre, providing people with affordable furniture, IT equipment and white goods. Cornish residents have begun donating their old furniture, white goods and appliances and over the last couple of months the team have been astounded by the quality of some of the items collected. Many items are modern and nearly new whereas others which have been well used will be treated to a makeover to transform them into useful, attractive and affordable items.

The impressive, purpose built showroom, and workshops sited at Bodmin Business Park boast solar technology as just one of the projects eco credentials, and the quirky interior fittings reflect the ethos of the project by combining striking, innovative design with reused household items. Even the staff office has been kitted out with reused furniture and equipment. The showroom is packed with quality second hand furniture and also showcases bespoke designer items crafted from reused materials by local designers. The wide range of products and styles ensures there is something for everyone's personal taste and budget.

Another unique feature of RE:SOURCE is the provision of a variety of training and volunteer opportunities for local people, including admin, sales, and trades including carpentry and electrics. A large, open workshop area situated at the rear of the complex can be viewed by the public from the showroom, allowing an opportunity to witness the donated furniture and appliances go through their journey of being cleaned, refurbished, safety checked and tested before being moved out into the showroom.

Michelle Griffiths, Mayor of Bodmin, attended the opening and said: "This type of facility has been a recognised need for a number of years with many local councillors and officers actively involved in the resourcing and recycling of household items for the benefit of the homeless, amongst others. In a society often accused of being wasteful and with the growing public awareness of pollution, landfill and global warming, I very much welcome the RE:SOURCE centre and the benefits it offers for the residents of Cornwall, in particular for those of Bodmin. It is good to see that the vision and hard work of all those involved has paid off."

Jon Rolls, Project Manager and the driving force behind RE:SOURCE, said: "The centre has been a number of years in the making and taken considerable foresight from partners and funders. Seeing the building complete, with items being refurbished and products ready for sale, is very satisfying and is the result of many people and organisations working together. As a not for profit organisation RE:SOURCE will be reinvesting income back into initiatives that tackle waste production and address local disadvantage."

Jon went on to explain: "The feedback that we have received has been extremely positive and we hope that the number of visitors to RE:SOURCE will reflect this. The RE:SOURCE team will be working hard over the coming months to refurbish, repair and recreate furniture items and appliances that reflect our ethos of quality and affordability and in doing so we aim to raise people's expectations of second hand furniture."

North Cornwall and Caradon District Councils, in addition to Objective One, Rural Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Partnership and the Big Lottery Fund, are key partners in the initiative, providing both investment and practical support. The two councils will play an essential role in ensuring the store is kept in constant stock by diverting their bulky waste collections from landfill and donating the items to the project to be reused and sold in the store.

RE:SOURCE is open to the public from the first week of July and can be found just off the A30 at Bodmin Business Park, Bodmin. Furniture can be bought in store or online by visiting the website www.myresource.org.uk where you can view and select items, pay for them and arrange delivery. You can even reserve an item prior to visiting the store.

Interested and want to find out more? Then call freephone on 0800 321 3356 or visit the website www.myresource.org.uk.

For further information please contact Jon Rolls, Project Manager at RE:SOURCE on 01208 265940 or email jon@rezolve.org.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in the Rezolve Kernow project through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Editor's notes:

RE:SOURCE is managed by ReZolve Kernow Ltd, a Cornish not for profit company that manages environmental projects, in addition North Cornwall and Caradon District Council have helped make this project a reality. RE:SOURCE has received investment from:

Objective One European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) – £408,200
Investment from Objective One will be used for both the capital and revenue sides of the project and is critical to the construction and development of the centre.

ERDF is one of four funds that make up the Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which is making £314 million of investment available for developing the local economy between 2000 and 2006. ERDF exists to:

The Big Lottery Fund's Community Recycling and Economic Development (CRED) Programme - £272,335
The CRED Programme is managed by the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) and nine consortium partners on behalf of the Big Lottery Fund's Transforming Waste initiative.

The Programme will award £36.5 million of Big Lottery Fund money in grants of between £50,000 to £300,000 to community based recycling, reuse and composting initiatives in England before the end of 2007. CRED closed to new applicants on 1 August 2005.

Local Authorities - £215,370
The two Local Authority partners are contributing a significant amount to the development of this project which has been fundamental to its success in getting off the ground. Not only are they providing the land upon which the centre will be developed, they are granting a long-term lease to ReZolve Kernow to run the centre, providing cash funding of £215,370 and considerable in kind funding in the form of officer time.

Rural Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Partnership - £100,000
This funding is being provided to fund both the capital and revenue side of the project.

The aim of the RCP is:

"To contribute to the development of a sustainable and enhanced rural economy and to assist in maintaining and enhancing the well-being of our rural communities, whilst achieving an equitable balance between the competing interests for Cornwall's rural resources."

This project, although based in Bodmin, will provide a service across the rural areas of Cornwall.

Cornwall County Council - £66,000
Cornwall County Council Chief Executive's Department have approved a cash flow loan to aid the development of the project in its early stages.

ReZolve Kernow – £11,696
ReZolve is contributing its own staff time and cash funding to the development of this project.

Awards for All - £4,500
Awards for All are contributing to unforeseen operational costs and are therefore vital to the successful set up of this project.

Environment Agency - £3,000
The EA has provided RE:SOURCE with funding to develop the centre as part of its ongoing efforts to address waste minimisation.

ChangeUp - £2,000
ChangeUp will fund RE:SOURCE for £2,000 for the development of its IT systems which will be critical to its ongoing success and efficiency.

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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