Community enterprise project awarded community funding from MRWA for second year

The Pre-Loved Project, part of Ascent Autism Specialist College, has been awarded community funding for the second year running.

The MRWA (Merseyside Waste and Recycling Authority) Community Fund aims to support eco-friendly and sustainable projects. For 2022/23 the total community fund pot was £165,000, with up to £120,000 set aside for large grants for projects in the Liverpool City Region area of up to £30,000 per project.

A further £45,000 was set aside, with £1,000 to a maximum of £8,00 for district projects. After submitting a thorough application, the Pre-Loved Project was awarded £8,000.

The funding will support several initiatives at Pre-Loved, including workshops where community members can learn new skills, helping them become more sustainable, and students at Ascent College can build their vocational skills.

In the application, Pre-Loved proposed the introduction of block workshops, where community members can book to attend a free series of three to five practical and informative workshops.

The single-session workshops, which will be available for drop-in, will cover environmental awareness, furniture repairs, textile repairs, and eco-crafting. Within each of these areas, the sessions will delve deeper into specific subject areas.

As part of the Remarkable Autism Charity, the Pre-Loved Project works alongside Remarkable and its strands, Wargrave House School, Ascent Autism Specialist College and Sundial Therapy Services.

CEO at Remarkable Autism, Robin Bush, said: “We are thrilled to be awarded funding for the second year running from Merseyside Waste and Recycling Authority.

“Last year’s funding helped create the Pre-Loved Project as it is today, a hub for the local community to come together and learn new skills to become more sustainable.

“Pre-Loved Project is committed to helping build a brighter, more sustainable future for everyone, and I look forward to seeing the project come to life in the coming months.”