Champion recognition for PEARLS

Tina Wright, one of the directors at PEARLS (front) with Nikki DiGiovanni, the national coordinator for ScrapstoresUK.

A Rochdale-based service, supporting play, art and education in the community has been recognised as a champion in its sector for the North West.

PEARLS, Play, Education, Arts, Reusable and Lending Service, is a resource centre selling low-cost art and educational supplies as well as a ‘scrapstore’, which works with local businesses to divert clean and safe waste materials away from landfill and into the community for creative use by its members.

The title of the North West’s Scrapstore Champion was awarded to PEARLS by ScrapstoresUK, the charity formed to support the work of scrapstores in the UK.

In its role as champion, PEARLS will provide help to new scrapstores, as well as coordinating support, promotion and the sharing of information between scrapstores in the North West.

Tina Wright, one of the directors at PEARLS said: “To be recognised as a champion for scrapstores in the North West is a fantastic achievement for us”

”We’ve overcome many challenges, and face many more, but hope our experience can help others. Running a scrapstore without core funding is hard work. However, what we do is incredibly rewarding, especially as we know we are helping the communities around us.”

PEARLS was originally known as the Rochdale Borough Council-run Rochdale Play Resource Centre. However, when the service faced closure in early 2010 some of the resource centre’s staff decided to turn it into a workers’ cooperative and run it themselves.

Nikki DiGiovanni, the national coordinator for ScrapstoresUK, said: “I’m delighted to support the appointment of PEARLS as the North West Champion for ScrapstoresUK. They have been a vital part of our community for many years and now they are being formally recognised for their role in working with and supporting other scrapstores in the North West and beyond.

A survey taken by ScrapstoresUK last year showed that nearly seven million children a year are accessing scrapstore resources. Ms DiGiovanni added: “Scrapstores across the whole of the UK collect from in excess of 3,500 businesses and support 80,000 community groups – these include children’s groups, educators as well as community interest organisations.

In January 2011, PEARLS was awarded a grant from Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) to help with their important work around re-use. GMWDA fully supports PEARLS creative approach to help minimise waste in the community and help towards zero waste to landfill.