Aberdeen Community and Environmental Projects Receive Boost from New Reuse Community Fund
Launched in 2024 by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK, the Aberdeen Reuse Community Fund has awarded £5,000 to ten organisations focused on environmental and wellbeing initiatives that benefit the wider Aberdeen community.
Funded by the Reuse Shop at the Hazlehead Household Waste Recycling Centre (HWRC), the grant aims to support not-for-profit organisations with projects that enhance the environment and promote the health and wellbeing of Aberdeen’s community. The HWRC and shop are operated by SUEZ recycling and recovery UK as part of the waste and recycling contract with Aberdeen City Council, with the shop selling pre-loved items for the home and garden.
Established with support from the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund, the Reuse Shop officially opened in July 2022. Since then, it has diverted more than 120 tonnes of items from disposal, offering quality goods at low prices to Aberdeen residents. Proceeds from the shop have enabled the establishment of an official community fund, ensuring that the money is reinvested in supporting the local community.
Colin Forshaw, Production Operations Manager at SUEZ recycling and recovery UK said, "I’m thrilled by the number of fantastic applications we received in the first year of the Aberdeen Reuse Community Fund and look forward to seeing the projects in action. The Reuse Shop has been a tremendous success, preventing waste and offering quality items at affordable prices to the people of Aberdeen. It’s great to see the positive impact the shop’s proceeds are having on the wider community. I hope our fund continues to grow, allowing us to support even more local projects in the future.”
In 2024, ten community groups each received a £500 grant for projects ranging from community gardens and litter-picking initiatives to youth club activities. These are:
1. Aberdeen Mosque and Community Centre is addressing plastic pollution by providing refillable water bottles and water stations to reduce single-use plastic.2. Alcohol & Drugs Action will provide a group space for recovery participants and volunteers to enjoy; the funding will be used to create a new 'Fedge,' including a Willow Arbor, as a project for participants and as a focal point in the garden.3. Camphill School Aberdeen will deliver vocational workshops for young people with learning disabilities; their project focuses on providing gardening and growing lessons for students with mobility issues.4. Community Food Initiatives North East plans to transform the Mounthooly Roundabout/George Street area into a green space with leisure, educational, and food-growing opportunities.5. Fittie Community Development Trust will provide a box of litter-picking equipment for beach visitors to help keep their environment clean.6. Gairn Community Garden is purchasing tools and equipment to transform a neglected green space into a community garden and play area.7. Inchgarth Youth Club will use its funding to provide more opportunities and entertainment for the hundreds of children who use their youth club.8. Instant Neighbour will train a volunteer to undertake PAT testing, diverting more appliances from the waste stream to those in need.9. Oldmachar Academy aims to promote an environmentally conscious culture in their school and coastal community.10. Torry Community Group is improving the Bruce Garden with additional trees and plants to enhance biodiversity and create a vibrant green space for residents to enjoy.
Fraser Hoggan, Chief Executive of Alcohol & Drugs Action (ADA), a local provider for alcohol and drug support services, who runs a gardening group as part of their recovery service, said "We’re really grateful for the funding provided by SUEZ, which will greatly benefit our garden project.
"Gardening and being outdoors makes a huge difference to everyone’s mental health and has a significant impact on our recovery participants and volunteers. The new area will provide a valuable outdoor space for educational and reflective purposes, and it’s a wonderful project to deliver over the coming months.”
Lesley Anne, Chair of Fittie Community Development Trust, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded a grant from SUEZ to install a litter pick box adjacent to the Beach Play Park in Fittie. We want to improve our local area for the benefit of the hundreds of people who come down to the seaside every week. The idea is for members of the public and beach users to help take responsibility for keeping our beach clean and free of litter. The marine and coastal environment is a fragile one, and bird life, crustaceans and fish depend on the shoreline area being clean.”
For further information about the fund, please visit our page on ActionFunder.
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