Recycling Lives Charity

£24.2m - or priceless. It depends how you look at it really, but either way, that's the value we create here... We're so proud to share this figure and much more with you in our latest Impact Report. If you're interested in the numbers, have a read on how we've created savings for the taxpayer, by reducing reoffending and unemployment, and preventing homelessness, and created value for our communities, by getting food out to people in need, supporting people into work, and so much more. And if (like us 💚) you're interested in people, there's plenty of personal stories in the Report too - Naomi's no-nonsense chat, Jimmy's reflections, Paul's learnings... It's all here: https://lnkd.in/e4GymgUw Please share far and wide, too 🙏 Help us to reach our next employer partner, sponsor, volunteer or even participant 💚

Signing off 2024 with this feature from Blog Preston - highlighting how we've grown and adapted our work in recent years. If you're based in or around Preston, you probably associate RL with big green wagons - if you're in criminal justice, you'll associate us with reducing reoffending - and if you're a charity, you might think of us when you think about food. Thanks Ed for pulling together a great piece explaining all that we do...and all that we still aspire to do! It's a great read... https://lnkd.in/ehwWEexN If any of this sounds like something you could help to make happen, or benefit from, let's chat in the new year - visit: https://lnkd.in/eSUWUiKM

🍴 We're already busy peeling veg ready for our Christmas dinner at Supper's Up tonight 🎅 Blog Preston called in to our soup kitchen a few weeks back to see what we do, meet some of our volunteers and people who need our help. You can learn all about it too, here: https://lnkd.in/eCf_8B7m

Smart Solutions are helping us to spread a bit of joy and much-needed practical help to people in need this Christmas. We'll be serving a special Christmas dinner at our soup kitchen tomorrow night thanks to a generous donation from the team at the recruiter. The £1,200 is enough for us to make gift bags for everyone visiting too. We’ll be gifting treats like chocolate and toiletries as well as some practical items, including 50 pairs of gloves and 50 hats donated by their PPE supplier (SMI | The Supply Lifeline to Britain's Workforce). We get at least 100 people through the doors for Supper’s Up every Wednesday and we fear that number could be higher as people struggle to make ends meet over Christmas. So all the support we get makes a real difference. Thank you to Karla Conlan and all the team at Smart Solutions (part of BGI).

Some fairly big news from our Chief Exec... Don't worry though, he isn't going anywhere just yet! And we'll be spending the next few months finding just the right person to take on the role next year. If you know of or are someone who might be a good fit, please reach out to Andrew Dawson-Gerrard. Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing more on what the role entails, where we want the charity to go, and the type of person who'd be ideal to take us there 🤝

This is a bit pants... We've had a bumper donation of underwear. The lovely ladies at Let's Get Our Knickers in a Twist have given us 300 pairs to share with ladies in need. Let's be honest, we know it's really sad that a necessity like underwear should feel like a luxury for some. We're just glad we can give the women coming to our soup kitchen a little bit of extra comfort and go some way to improving health and wellbeing. Thanks to Serena and her team for the donation 🫶 💚 If you have goods, cash or a few spare hours you could give to help out at Supper's Up - our weekly soup kitchen, based in Preston - please do get in touch with Naomi or Katrina: changelives@recyclinglives.org

We're so proud to see our friends from Grange-over-Sands Community Foodshare featured in this national FareShare UK film. They're one of the 100+ charities we support through our Food Redistribution Centre (FareShare Lancashire & Cumbria 🍏). As they say, "it's not just about the food" - the food is just the start. Have a watch if you fancy feeling inspired (and probably a bit emotional too! 💚) 🤝 Want to be part of it? You can volunteer with us, donate food or cash, or receive food for your group. Visit: https://lnkd.in/eRz9vjAz

It's true what they say, there's no greater gift than giving your time and energy to help others. These guys have jointly given 25+ years... We've been celebrating five of our volunteers for their long service at our Food Redistribution Centre. John, Sam & Jean (pictured here with manager Laura (left)) and Chamayne & James have each spent 5+ years with us. Together, they've racked up 39 years volunteering, getting hundreds of thousands of meals out to communities in that time. They're really part of the furniture now and we couldn't do it without them, or the 52 other regular volunteers on our roster 💚 Read their stories, and what volunteering means to them, here: https://lnkd.in/exrMP_gF

Not another post whinging about potholes on socials… Thanks to the team at Galvmac Ltd who were at our Food Redistribution Centre last week filling in potholes and smoothing out the loading area. It's fair to say this area is well worn, as wagons drop off thousands of tonnes of stock year-round and cars then collect food for communities. Mark and his team kindly improved the 10m² space free of charge. They’d reached out to ask if there was any way they could support what we do and, after learning about our rehabilitation programmes, we’re hoping this becomes a long-term partnership. In the meantime, the hundreds of pounds they’ve saved us will go towards getting food out to people in need. Thanks guys 💚 Learn more about our food redistribution work: https://lnkd.in/eRz9vjAz

Over 15 years in the making, Recycling Lives Charity has a rich brand heritage, and has built a successful charity to support people who are looking for a second chance to move forward positively in life. Through dedication and an excellent team of employees, volunteers, partners, authorities and prisons, we have successfully reached many milestones along the way.   We invite you to take a look at our heritage timeline and welcome you to share memories you have with Recycling Lives Charity.   https://lnkd.in/eWbcxxWh