£60k community waste fund up for grabs

Ian Scott from the Community Recycling Network North West (CRN) helped launch the fund

Today (Monday 27 September 2010) GMWDA launches its new £60,000 community waste fund to support recycling and reuse projects in Greater Manchester.

The community and voluntary sector will benefit from the fund which will help to set up projects to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill. The fund will encourage and empower local community groups and charities to become involved in shaping and delivering much needed initiatives in their community, to ultimately help local people and the environment.

GMWDA is seeking innovative ideas from the community waste sector to encourage communities to do more to reduce their waste. The £60,000 fund includes a generous donation from the John Laing Charitable Trust and is supported by the Community Recycling Network North West (CRN).

Are you a furniture reuse organisation providing a low cost service to those who need it most in the community, or a local community team working on an environmental project to increase recycling locally? If you have an idea which will help prevent waste, reduce waste and increase recycling and reuse, whether it is a current project which needs funding to expand, or a new idea which lacks the funding to be put into practice, then GMWDA wants to hear from you.

Councillor Swannick, Chairman of GMWDA commenting on the Fund said: “GMWDA is delighted to be able to support local charitable organisations and community groups in this way, which will ultimately help reduce waste to landfill and help towards GMWDA’s aim of ‘zero waste’.”

Councillor Joe Murphy, GMWDA’s lead Member for Waste Minimisation and Engagement said: “The Community Waste Fund provides a great opportunity for some excellent initiatives to gain funding, which can often be very difficult to obtain. It is also a fantastic way for us to get involved with the local community and we are very much looking forward to receiving the proposals, which will hopefully bring exciting new ideas.”

Richard Groome, Regional Operations Director at John Laing said: “We are delighted to be able to support this Fund and help Greater Manchester to lead the UK in waste reduction initiatives.”

The fund is a chance for communities to innovate and lead, and to find opportunities instead of problems. A judging panel has been set up to evaluate the applications and the successful projects will be selected in December. For more information on the Fund and to fill in an expression of interest form, then please visit www.gmwda.gov.uk or email CommunityWasteFund@gmwda.gov.uk