Derry's non-profit Repair & Share Foyle awarded £188,094 to tackle waste

The three projects will actively engage local residents across the Derry City & Strabane District Council area to tackle the growing problem of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and waste paint.

Through community engagement programmes, skills based workshops and wider business development, the community interest company (C.I.C) plans to collaborate with a broad range of participants, community organisations and businesses to develop circular economy solutions.

Managing Director, Caroline McGuinness-Brooks, said: “Working towards an authentic circular economy at the local level requires forward thinking, collaboration and innovation. Our volunteer led team has demonstrated that we are leaders in grassroots sustainability solutions. This funding award is our first significant leap forward as a young non profit and we’re confident that we’ll make a positive impact, tackling waste streams collectively with our community.”

For the first time since starting their repair cafes back in 2022, the team will now employ three permanent members of staff to take the C.I.C to the next level.

They will scale up their existing laptop campaign, via ‘Tech Connect’, training volunteers and residents with new repair skills and understandings of supply chains & material recovery. Their ‘Fixing Factory’ model will enable the group to expand their current repair cafe capacities, beyond monthly pop ups.

The fixing factory will help people to learn how to fix household electricals themselves with workshops for schools, residents, and businesses interested in repair culture. Additionally, these projects will continue to advocate for the ‘Right to Repair’ movement where legislation and policy change is required to make repair more accessible and affordable for everyone. A ‘Waste Electrical & Electronic Coordinator’ will spearhead these projects.

Kate Beggs, Northern Ireland Director of The National Lottery Community Fund said: “Congratulations to Repair and Share Foyle on their £188,094 National Lottery grant. We look forward to seeing the difference this project will make to support local people to repair and re-use, creating a more sustainable community, and reducing the effect of the cost-of-living crisis."

“Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players we are continuing to deliver on our strategy, ‘It starts with community’, with several programmes open for applications to support those in need.”

After securing £4,000 capital costs from the SSE energy fund in 2024 to remanufacture waste paint, Repair & Share Foyle said they are delighted to now have funding in place from the National Lottery to create a ‘Paint & Innovation Technician’ role.

Job postings will be ‘pasted’ across their channels in coming weeks, they said.

Caroline said: “As an accredited real living wage employer, we expect to receive plenty of applications for the job postings, and will be ensuring that our first team of staff will set precedent for the future of jobs within Repair & Share Foyle. This is a really exciting time to join our team”.

Repair & Share Foyle have galvanised support from Derry City & Strabane Council and councils Climate Programme Manager, Cathy Burns, who said: “E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in the world and processing of waste paint costs the taxpayer significantly as local authorities have a statutory obligation to manage waste. Social enterprises like Repair & Share Foyle are vital in developing the circular economy, keeping valuable resources in circulation.”