A \u201crecycling revolution\u201d is underway on Anglesey to give unwanted items a new lease of life and provide a much-needed financial boost for a hospice.<\/p>\n
St David\u2019s Hospice is working with\u00a0 Menter M\u00f4n\u00a0 and the Isle of Anglesey County Council on a brand new initiative, Cylchol, encouraging people to repair and upcycle everyday materials and household objects instead of throwing them away.<\/p>\n
The hospice has converted its donation centre near the Morrison\u2019s supermarket on the Penrhos Industrial Estate in Holyhead and divided the warehouse up into maker spaces.<\/p>\n
Two members of the hospice staff are being retrained and will be spending three days a week at Anglesey\u2019s recycling centres near Menai Bridge and Gwalchmai.<\/p>\n
Their mission will be to find items that can be salvaged and then devote the rest of the week to restoring and upcycling them with Menter M\u00f4n\u2019s dedicated team of technicians.<\/p>\n
They\u2019ll be looking out for furniture, electrical goods, textiles and bikes and anything else that can be repurposed.<\/p>\n
Everything they\u2019ve rescued will then go on sale in the hospice\u2019s shops to create a new stream of income for the charity.<\/p>\n
As well as diverting goods from landfill and improving sustainability, organisers say the Cylchol project will create a circular economy and help tackle the cost of living crisis at the same time.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s a particularly important project for the hospice because more and more people are selling their unwanted clothes online instead of donating them to charity shops.<\/p>\n
What hasn\u2019t changed is that the hospice needs to raise \u00a36.7 million a year to provide the vital services it provides at its main hospice in Llandudno and its two satellite centres in Holyhead and Bangor.<\/p>\n
Among those being retrained as a Repair Assistant is Nathan Recourt, who has worked as a driver for the hospice for the past three years.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cIt\u2019s a very exciting project that\u2019s needed because there is so much going to an energy from waste facility that is repairable and can be sold here.<\/p>\n
\u201cSustainability is the buzz word because our throwaway society is wasting so much good stuff and we\u2019re aiming to change that with a bit of a recycling revolution.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll be spending two days a week at the recycling centre in Penysgyrn near Menai Bridge and one day at the centre in Gwalchmai.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you look at the items we have got here already, it would be a shame for it to be discarded when it can be used again.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re going to be looking for furniture, tables, chairs, sideboards, bikes, skateboards, electrical goods, even ornaments and possibly clothing as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cylchol project was funded by the Welsh Government, commissioned by Anglesey Council and is being masterminded by Menter M\u00f4n, dovetailing with a wider scheme operating in Anglesey and Gwynedd.<\/p>\n
Menter M\u00f4n are also supporting Ffiws workshops across the two counties where members of the local community will be invited to come and learn how to repair and upcycle different items.<\/p>\n
Menter M\u00f4n Project Manager Elen Parry said: “Our project focuses on repairing and recycling to reduce waste sent to recycling centres on Anglesey, while also supporting the hospice through funds raised by reselling salvaged and refurbished items.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Holyhead, we plan to collect items from the two recycling centres in Anglesey and set up specialised stations in the warehouse for textiles, furniture, electronics, bikes, skateboards, and more – repairing them and giving them a second life.<\/p>\n
“We\u2019re open to collaborating with other charities on the island, ventures, or any initiatives aligned with our Cylchol goals. Our aim is to help the environment, reduce costs for the community, and provide valuable upskilling opportunities.<\/p>\n
“We hope the community will rally behind this initiative by participating in workshops and engaging with the staff at the recycling centres.<\/p>\n
“This is a pilot project between Menter M\u00f4n and St. David\u2019s Hospice. We will be trialling this scheme until March 2026, with the hope that it proves successful, and that St. David\u2019s Hospice will be able to continue the work independently.\u201d<\/p>\n
The project is a labour of love for Carol Morley, the Head of Retail at St David\u2019s Hospice, who was inspired to work for the charity after having first-.hand experience of the value of its services.<\/p>\n
Carol said: \u201cI\u2019ve personally experienced it myself almost 13 years ago. My father was 58 and we used some of the hospice services.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe support they gave, not just to him but also to us as a family was phenomenal. He was content when he died and that gave us a bit of ease as well when going through the process and at the time I thought I could be doing more here.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Head of Retail, I love what we do and why we do it. I think it takes a lot of passion and dedication.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the hospice, unless you or your loved one needs hospice care, you don\u2019t really know what we do, whereas if you\u2019re coming in with this project and you see how we do things, you\u2019ll naturally learn about the work that the hospice does for our communities.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a 12-bed inpatient unit and outpatient service in Llandudno, along with .\u00a0 Hafan Dewi, a day care centre in the grounds of Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor and a satellite four-bed unit in Penrhos Hospital in Holyhead.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe services we provide are expensive, they cost in the region of \u00a36.7 million a year to run and we have to raise more than 75 per cent of that ourselves through our shops, fundraising events, gifts in wills, raffles and lottery.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we do makes a real difference, not just to the patients but to the whole family \u2013 we support the family throughout the journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lois Jones, Principal Waste Management Officer with Anglesey Council which secured the money to pay for the project from the Welsh Government\u2019s Circular Economy Fund, is also passionate about the project.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cIt makes perfect sense in the age in which we live because we\u2019re killing two birds with one stone \u2013 saving perfectly good stuff from being thrown away,\u00a0 helping make things more affordable during the cost of living crisis and raising much-needed money in the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also going to help us meet our recycling targets as well as creating new jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Cylchol project will be officially launched at a free but ticketed event at the Hwb Trwsio, <\/strong>22a Penrhos Industrial Estate, Holyhead, LL65 2FD, <\/strong>between 6pm and 8pm on Thursday, January 30, when a fashion show and workshops will be taking place. Anybody wanting tickets should email <\/strong>cylchol@mentermon.com<\/strong><\/a> by January 24.<\/strong><\/p>\n