THE VALUE OF WASTE

I was watching BBC breakfast over my morning cuppa the other day and a story caught my eye that was explaining the benefits of a ‘rubbish’ shop (i.e a shop which sold on what others have thrown out.)  The story was in light of new figures that claim £400 million worth of waste is thrown into landfill each year – much of which could be rescued, revamped and resold. It struck me as interesting that people are getting on board with something, that in Inverness, we are well ahead of the game with.  

I notice initiatives, most clearly by charity shops but also by larger retailers, trying to play their part in proving the adage that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. (For instance, Marks and Spencers, who have huge clothes re-use programme.) 

However, waste can have a much bigger value. 

an example of some of our up-scaling work

What New Start Highland do, and what is at the thrust of our enterprise, is taking waste that would otherwise be dumped – and using it as a mechanism to deliver social and environmental benefit to the Highlands.

When you are chucking something out you might ring up the council first (which would cost you £20 for a pick up to begin with.) Then it would be smushed up and thrown into landfill. (Which we all know isn’t the smartest action when it comes to being aware of environmental impact.) If though, you gave New Start Highland a call, we would collect free of charge, we’d apply some TLC and we’d put it back to use. Whether it’s an old washing machine, chest of drawers or arm chair we can tidy up and refurbish household items, breathing new life into your ‘junk’ and into your own community. When something is thrown out of your home, it shouldn’t be thrown out of your consciousness. 

George Fraser, Chief Executive ofTulloch Homes and myself

The brilliant part about this is that the vast majority (close to 75%) of what is donated to us gets given out to people in the Highlands who find themselves in poverty, often through no fault of their own. They sometimes can’t otherwise afford or access something to sit on, sleep on or eat with.  Things that most of us take for granted. 

The remainder gets sold on through retail outlets, which means we can make available quality, affordable pieces of furniture to everybody in the area. Something we all look for and something for which New Start Highland are unsurpassed in the area. 

This process follows suit with anyone who donates to us. Whether you are clearing a house or you’re part of a business, why not follow the example of people and places such as the Kingsmills, Tulloch Homes and Robertson Homes and hundreds of individuals and think of a more ethical approach to reuse. 

So my challenge to you this week, is to think more broadly when it comes to recycling. While putting your cans in a coloured bin and avoiding carrier bags at the supermarket all have their place in making positive actions for the environment, consider that through ethical re-use, your pre owned items could have a much farther and deeper reach.  

handing over a cooker

We’re proud to do our part in creating environmental change. Our flagship store one of the first in Scotland to be ‘Revolve Reuse’ accredited and we also have a Highlands and Islands Business Excellence Award for ‘Excellence in Environmental Sustainability’ from SCDI (Scottish Council for Development in Industry.) Not only are we incredibly fortunate to be able to deliver lasting social impact through waste, we’re proud to create it in partnership with you.

LIVING WITH BALANCE

We’re all human, and our scales will always have a tendency to over tip when we’re stretched, or unfocussed or just ultimately just needing a KitKat. Everybody needs a break sometimes and I don’t mean just taking a few days off work. We all relax in our own way. For me, there is nothing better than spending time in nature – taking my bike out on to the road, or a rod out on to the loch and in doing so (without sounding too sanctimonious) exercising my spiritual self. 

So I thought I’d chat this week about how to achieve a balanced life and what, to me, is important to keep in mind while doing so. 

How easy is it to live a balanced life? And what do we mean by this?

There are 4 areas of life that are, to me, all equally important. As well as exercising your spiritual self, you have to also take care of yourself physically, mentally and socially/emotionally. 

The balancing out of these requires discipline and life doesn’t just neatly fall into these quadrants on its own. However, these are still all areas of your being whether you acknowledge them or not. 

What do I mean by this? Well, saying “I’m not a spiritual person” or “I’m not a physical person” isn’t going to make this particular need go away.  But there are different ways to exercise each of these, and as long as we’re doing so with all four, we’re doing well. The key is to find ways to exercise them all.  I try to do this in the midst of life and business and as a result I think I am happier, healthier….and a little less rounded.

Physically, I’m motivated by having a healthy mind and body. As I said, I love the great outdoors -we do live in the Highlands after all. Getting out and about, whether this is through hiking, cycling, running or strolling along the road to get the paper in the morning, means we can enjoy our area and living here even more. 

But because some people find exercise more demanding than others, it does become easy to make excuses to avoid it. 

“It’s too dark at nights to go outside after work”, or “weekends are for catching up with friends and family – not for exhausting myself in a sweaty gym.” It probably takes more energy to think up excuses than to get off the couch in the first place!

I suppose the key is to do something that you enjoy and that makes it easier to keep up.

Living with balance is often difficult

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Social issues are close to my heart. But for everyone, making meaningful connections and forging positive relationships is at the core of our social well-being. By supporting your fellow human beings you are not only helping them, you are also improving your own mood. Emotional well-being is enhanced when we maintain a good sense of compassion for others. But of course, it’s also about having a sense of humour, because at the end of the day it’s difficult to maintain anything you don’t enjoy. 

I’m sure everyone would agree that one of the struggles of living a balanced life is practically fitting everything in! But it shouldn’t be about not having enough time, but rather what we do with our time and how we use it. 

Mental stimulation comes from learning, reading and educating yourself. But when we live such busy lives, how do we fit this in? 

To me, there is nothing worse than dead time, or time you’re just killing. When I am travelling I often listen to books – making for a more pleasant, relaxing and stimulating journey. Slotting my ‘to-dos’ into each other help to achieve the all-important life balance keeps life’s vitality. 

Overarching all of this, is the importance of living a life of purpose, and making your decisions based on fulfilling this purpose. We all have the same number of hours in a week (168 to be exact!) my challenge to you this week is to fit in something from all areas of life, and make the most of these hours. 

Living with balance makes you much more effective in life. But that said, and while routine and habits have immense value, I also like having a spontaneous side to my character. Spontaneity is always good …and the great thing is that spontaneity requires minimal fore thought….so there’s always time for that!

FOOD BANKS AND WELFARE: A FEW BAD DECISIONS FROM POVERTY

I believe that New Start Highland offers a way forward for helping people who are long-term unemployed. Our success rate is 700 percent better than some aspects of the work programme and it is not focussed on anything punitive, it is all focussed around the person. 

Our policy of developing individuals is far more effective than simply giving people hand outs and punishing those who fail to meet set criteria, like the policy adopted by the welfare system. One of the symptoms of the changes to the welfare system is an increased need for food banks. 

I spoke to the Inverness Courier this week amid surging food bank use in Scotland and spoke of how welfare reforms are inextricably linked to the rising demand for emergency food relief. 

Have a look at some of my comments below that were published in Tuesday’s paper. I’d be delighted to know what you think.

Are welfare reform changes punitive?

“Of the tens of thousands of people who are unemployed and in poverty very few of them don’t want to work. 

I think the changes in the benefit system are draconian and some of the sanctions people face are barbaric. The solution for me isn’t taking someone’s benefits away because they don’t turn up for a meeting, the solution is engaging with people.

It is not a political view, although it probably sounds like one, it is simply an observation and I am working in the midst of people in horrible poverty.

I think it is absolutely wrong that this wealthy society  is spending hundreds of millions on nuclear weapons, and human beings, mums, dads, children still do not have food.

I wonder if the decision makers lose sight of the fact that all of us are only a few bad decisions or a few unfortunate events away from poverty ourselves.”

Although a spokeswoman for the Department for Work and Pensions insisted that there was no robust evidence linking welfare reforms to the increased use of food banks and said: 

“We will ensure that no one falls through the cracks and we are working with local authorities, community groups and the financial industry on how best to support individuals,”

The majority of those receiving food parcels said benefit changes, benefit delays plus low income were to blame for their situation.

On the other hand, the leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales has recently labelled the UK government's social reform a "disgrace" for leaving people in "destitution".

Why do you think there has been a sharp increase in the use of food banks recently?

Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols recently said the "safety net" for the poorest families had been "torn apart".

Speaking to the Telegraph last month Archbishop Nichols - the most senior Roman Catholic cleric in England and Wales and designated by Pope Francis to be appointed a cardinal- said the welfare state was becoming "more punitive".

"I think what's happening is two things", he said.

"One is that the basic safety net that was there to guarantee that people would not be left in hunger or in destitution, has actually been torn apart. It no longer exists, and that is a real, real dramatic crisis.

"And the second is that, in this context, the administration of social assistance - I am told - has become more and more punitive."

Do you agree? Let me know!