Third time lucky as Reuse Littleborough is granted charity status

Local community group Reuse Littleborough has been granted charity status after two unsuccessful applications.

The outcome came just days after the group’s move to a new venue in Littleborough this month, with a meeting of trustees following the week after.

Reuse Littleborough exists to provide an eco-friendly solution to prevent people from throwing perfectly usable items away and help those in need, such as women fleeing violence, the homeless, those discharged from long-term hospital care, the elderly, asylum seekers and refugees.

The group first applied for charity status five years ago, but has now been accepted, meaning Reuse can apply for funding where needed and help even more people and families.

The eco-friendly cause reopened at its new venue – 111 Church Street – on 2 October, after closing the hub at the former Royal Oak Hotel in September. The new premises has central heating, laminated flooring and more space than the former pub.

Founder and trustee Michael Bamford said: “The move to our new location has been a massive success, and then we had a phone call to say we have been granted charity status.

“Although we were waiting for the outcome it was still a massive shock to us all. This was our third attempt, having been rejected twice for some very unreal reasons.

“But we now have our charity number that will open so many doors. We have no plans as yet to apply for grants as we class ourselves as  ‘volunteer led’ and  ‘self-funded’.

 

 

“Our main project at the moment is financing the Resource Centre we run in Rochdale. It is only accessed by support workers that have identified a family in real need; we can provide from our donations much-needed furniture to help a family that have an empty property.”

The group was originally started eight years ago after Michael noticed a discrepancy between the waste we have in our country and those in need in poorer countries.

It began with an online post, asking for donations of unwanted baby items to send to the Forever Angels Baby Home in Tanzania and grew into a larger movement, with the main hub in Littleborough, a second-hand baby and children’s clothing shop and its resource centre for support workers.

It has a Facebook group of over 8,600 members, plus its own website, www.reuselittleborough.co.uk.

You can contact Reuse Littleborough via telephone (07729564556) or email reuselittleborough@gmail.com.