A Knowsley Charity is helping residents to shop sustainably

A Knowsley-based youth and community centre is on a mission to help local people save money and adopt zero-waste principles in their everyday lives.

Centre 63 in Kirkby has been awarded £7,200 from Merseyside Recycling & Waste Authority (MRWA) and Veolia’s Zero Waste Community Fund to deliver a Community Food & Recycle Hub.

The project includes a ‘Social Supermarket’ which, amongst essentials such as nappies and period products, stocks a variety of plastic-free fresh produce and ethical goods at affordable prices.

For every £10 spent, shoppers receive around £25-£30 worth of goods in return. Furthermore, the centre often gives away free products which vary from day to day, but have in the past included foods such as fresh bread and fruit teacakes.

Jackie Croft, Chief Executive of Centre 63, said:

“We want to make sustainable shopping accessible. The reality is that people primarily want to save money, so it’s then up to us to help them do that in a way which protects the environment. That’s why, where possible, our Social Supermarket stocks items that are locally produced and are either loose or sustainably packaged. We also sell pre-measured portions, as well as food bags which contain recipes and ingredients, to encourage food waste reduction.”

In keeping with its food-related theme, the project also features monthly cooking sessions, designed to help participants eat healthy on a budget.

Additionally, Centre 63 has engaged members of the youth community in starting an environmental garden. Participating children have helped to plant foods such as tomatoes and chillis, with plans to eventually sell the locally grown produce at the Social Supermarket.

Jackie Croft continued:

“We’ve found that, as well as bringing members of the community out of social isolation, engaging participants in various activities helps to build momentum. For instance, the food growing sessions will give the kids a better understanding of where our food comes from, whilst creating memories and building skills which they may share with their own children one day.”

Alongside food-related activities, the project encourages reuse through clothes donations and clothes swap events, with recycling sessions also being delivered to help community members know what they can and can’t recycle at home. The latter has been cited as an important measure in alerting residents on the issue of recycling contamination and the waste that it causes.

Councillor Catie Page, MRWA Chairperson, said:

“The work that the Centre 63 team is doing is a huge credit to them and their community. Food waste is a major component towards residual waste across Liverpool City Region. This project seeks to genuinely help people by making food affordable, whilst also encouraging important factors such as meal planning and portion measuring. All of this – in addition to the great work which they are doing to encourage reuse and recycling properly at home – is crucial in helping to reduce waste and fight the effects of climate change.”

Beyond the excellent work being carried out as part of the Food & Recycle Hub project, Centre 63 has previously encouraged reuse through the sale of recycled school uniforms at heavily discounted prices. The centre also uses clothes donations that are no longer fit for reuse to create items such as memory cushions during crafts sessions.