Location: Former police box on Leith Walk at Croall Place
Photo-call: Thursday 3 December 2015 at 10.00 am
TALENTED social enterprises in Edinburgh will be using their ‘regeneration’ and re-use skills to give a former police box on Leith Walk a makeover into their very own ‘time machine’, this coming Thursday.
Joining forces to create their own homage to the popular BBC show, Dr Who, Edinburgh Furniture Initiative, Pass IT On, Edinburgh Tool Library, the Living Memory Association, Whale Arts and Remade in Edinburgh will be demonstrating the re-use of computers, furniture and all manner of items that will take visitors back through the decades.
They will be joined by longstanding mascot Doogie Goodstuff, as the new ‘Reuse’ campaign mascot, ‘Second-hand Rose’, will be unveiled.
Linsay Chalmers, network co-ordinator at Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network, said: “We wanted to show people the amazing things you can find when you shop at re-use and upcycling social enterprises. One of the things we’re excited to show off is a 1993 Toshiba laptop which weighs 7.8kg!
“We are also keen to get people to think about donating unwanted but reusable furniture, tools and computers to social enterprises, especially in the run up to Christmas.”
Amanda Blackadder, information officer at Remade, said: “We are delighted to be involved in the recycling stunt, as it gives us a real chance to showcase Remade. We are a busy, established social enterprise in Edinburgh teaching repair skills – and we work in partnership to campaign for goods to be built to last.
“At our central hub at 17 Guthrie Street, we teach sewing and mending, computer repair, run workshops from leather repair to bookbinding and sell good quality affordable laptop and desktop computers and welcome anyone wishing to find out more.”
ENDS
Notes to editors:
Edinburgh Furniture Initiative www.foursquare.org.uk Four Square believes that everyone has the right to a home and a place in their community. Since 1975, we’ve been at the forefront of tackling homelessness in Edinburgh and beyond. Our vision: everyone has the opportunity to have a home and a place in their community. Our mission is to overcome the barriers they face through homelessness or other disadvantage by providing support services and enterprise activities which create opportunities for stable and lives and economic inclusion.
Pass IT On www.passitoncomputers.co.uk/ Pass IT On is a charity which adapts donated computers and gives them free of charge to disabled people living in the EH (Edinburgh/Lothians) postcode area. The only criteria for our service is that the client’s medical condition or impairment means that it is difficult for them to use publicly available computers (such as those in the library). We are supported in our work by a team of around 40 volunteers, and also provide work placement opportunities for people with additional support needs. As Microsoft-registered refurbishers, Pass IT On also sells refurbished computer systems – a complete PC system with Microsoft Windows 7 Professional and Office 2010 currently costs £85.
Remade in Edinburgh http://www.remadeinedinburgh.org.uk/ is a social enterprise which teaches repair skills and works in partnership to campaign for goods to be built to last. At our central hub at 17 Guthrie Street (just off Chambers Street) we teach sewing and mending, computer repair, run workshops from leather repair to bookbinding, and sell good quality affordable laptop and desktop computers. We’re open to all and run a weekly repair surgery every Wednesday 7-9pm. Bring along your laptop and clothes and our expert menders will show you how to get started. FREE (suggested donation £3).
Edinburgh Tool Library http://edinburghtoollibrary.org.uk Edinburgh Tool Library is the UK’s first tool library, promoting sharing as a way of reducing our environmental impact. We lend our members tools for DIY, gardening, decorating and machine repair so they don’t need to own them. Not only does this collaborative approach make sense environmentally, it also helps our members financially.
WHALE Arts Agency www.whalearts.co.uk A community arts organisation based in Wester Hailes in Edinburgh. Established in 1992 as part of the community regeneration process, in 2000 we moved in to the purpose build WHALE Arts Centre. WHALE Arts provides access to supported, professionally-led arts activities for enjoyment, skills development and growth of individuals and the community. Our vision: arts will inspire change for our community and its people.
For Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network information contact:
Linsay Chalmers, network co-ordinator,
E-mail: linsay@edinburghsocialenterprise.co.uk, Mobile: 07940 512110
Further background
‘Buy the Good Stuff’ is a call to action to the general public to consider how they shop around the city and can really make a difference by purchasing from social enterprises.
Over 200 social enterprises are trading in Edinburgh, from cafes and retail, to creative industries and leisure generating income and reinvesting their profits into the community for social or environmental benefits.
Edinburgh was the first place in Scotland to run a marketing campaign to raise awareness of social enterprise shopping with branding designed by BOLD design agency for ‘Buy the Good Stuff’ appearing on the side of eight Lothian Buses.
The Buy the Good Stuff campaign is supported by the City of Edinburgh Council and delivered by Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network.
What is social enterprise? Social enterprise is a way of doing business that benefits the community, society or the environment. Social enterprises must reinvest all of their profits into their social or environmental aims and many also achieve their aims through the way that they run their business, for example by employing people who might otherwise find it difficult to find a job.
Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network uses the criteria for social enterprise set out in the Social Enterprise Code (www.se-code.net). The most common legal models for social enterprises are: Companies Ltd by Guarantee, Companies Ltd by Guarantee with Charitable Status, Charities and Community Interest Companies (CICs).
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