GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK

This planet isn’t ours -it doesn’t belong to any one of us and certainly any one of us more than another. We’re simply here for a while and trusted to take care of it as best we can. We are stewards of the planet, and my greatest hope would be that we could leave our shared world in a better place environmentally than we found it – and decisions that we make daily impact on that. 

One of the more daunting challenges we face is to change the broad mind set so that what our society considers as waste is instead considered a resource and as little as possible is wasted.  Small changes like switching a light switch off, using biomass heating, turning a heater down, and being economical with how much paper we are using all help; but so do making environmentally and financially sensible decisions in our homes and businesses. 

I blogged recently about seeing the value of waste, but to kick start this, we require a change in mind set in order to fuel a change in behaviour - so that all of us can hopefully realise the benefits of using and re-using things to our collective advantage. 

So we should shop ethical, buy local and consider charity shops when furnishing our homes…after all they do say charity begins at home…and here are my top 5 reasons as to why…

1.       Giving a Little Back…

In a different way than popping your pennies in a tin, shopping in charity shops helps you give something back, and sometimes directly to the area in which you live and work. The number one, irrefutable reason to spend your money in such a way that it goes toward transforming lives should be pretty self-evident – by spending on what you’d spend anyway in a certain place – you can change lives. It makes you feel good; but it unquestionably makes a difference to others too.

2.       The Planet Will Thank You…

Every pre-owned piece you buy in a social enterprise, charity or community shop is another thing saved from languishing in landfill.  We are all guilty of chucking out things of value because they have become dated -from food waste to furniture, in our homes and at work. Deciding to substitute a trip to Ikea for (ahem...) one to New Start Highland for instance when furnishing your home means that you can rest assured that most, if not all, of the pieces have been awarded a second life. UK charity shops' reuse activity alone helps reduce CO2 emissions by about 7.3m tonnes every year, meaning your can be proud of what you’re doing for your carbon footprint every time you walk out of the door having made a purchase.

3.       Surely Charity Doesn’t Mean Quality??

If you bought a piece of furniture from a reuse store– say a chair, side board or even bed, you will often be getting a higher quality item, because you are avoiding mass made, substandard less pricey furniture– usually priced as such because quality is compromised. Your piece is higher quality, it looks better and it lasts longer. The only hurdle you have to cross is that it’s not brand new. But where does that sentiment come from? It raises the question of why we buy what we buy all together.

One of the things we need to do is turn away from the thought that shops that are selling pre-owned furniture and household items are just down market charity shops, full of someone else’s junk, or bumf that people don’t want to carry on. It is a fairly daft sentiment when you think about it. We don’t have that frame of mind when we buy a car or a home. More often than not it was once someone else’s and we’re happy with that, in fact we barely even think twice about it. And it happens even closer to home than that. Think even of the water that comes out of your tap for instance? Or the plastic bottle you would fill it in to. We are constantly using and reusing things in life, why must we think differently when furnishing a home?

4.       It’s Great Value!

Salvaging furniture from the skip needn’t just be an exercise in doing good for the planet and for your fellow planet dwellers. What strikes me is that it also makes great basic business sense– less time and resources to buy new = less money spent! Simple.

5.       It’s ‘in’

Creative re-use in the New Start Highland office

Say what you want about my fashion sense…buying green is ‘in’…and I know this not because I’m an avid follower of what’s in vogue, but you can’t help but notice the trend when it’s under your nose. Said trend for the upscale of furniture has even made its way to the New Start Highland office, with some of the team reclaiming bits and pieces otherwise destined for landfill , making them their own, and even coming up with unique storage solutions while they’re at it.  Call it reclaimed, retro, vintage or upcycled – being able to flex your creative muscle and have a piece that is unique at the same time is proving a popular way of furnishing your home. Charity shops are a brilliant place to rummage around to find things that you could sand down, paint up and make your own, especially if you have an eye for potential masterpieces.  

So there you have it – 5 top reasons to consider charity/ re-use shops for furniture… and build yourself a green home.

FINDING UN-MET NEED AND MEETING IT

If someone can’t afford food, they likely can’t afford something to cook it on, to refrigerate it, to eat it on or to eat with. 

If someone can’t find a home to call their own, they likely can’t afford the luxury of a good night’s sleep in their own bed.

I have made clear before my thoughts that Welfare Reform and benefit cuts are inextricably linked to the surging use of food banks in the UK, with my particular concern of course being Scotland. As well the leap in sanctions being given out unjustifiably - driving more and more people into destitution. 

It has been in the news pretty consistently for the last few weeks that 1 million people and counting in the UK have used Trussell Trust food banks in the past year – almost treble the amount from the previous year. This news comes as we are being told that 1 in 5 children in Scotland live in poverty, with some of the worst of the stats being pinned to the Highlands. In my mind, it is no coincidence that this demoralising picture is painted alongside huge cuts being made to benefits and a sharp spike being seen in the dealing out of benefit sanctions by the job centre. It was reported recently by the Citizen’s Advice Bureau that they’ve seen a 60% rise in people seeking advice as a result of this.

The CAB offer free, impartial advice to an increasing number of people

The chief executive of CAB, Gillian Guy, relates this to the rise in sanctions:

 "The minimum four-week sanction is setting people up to fail and creating a barrier which can stop them from looking for work. Four weeks is a long time to go without money to get by and people are struggling to make ends meet.

"The success rate of sanction appeals reveals a culture of 'sanction first and ask questions later'. This is not only ineffective and a huge waste of money but also has a devastating effect on thousands of people's lives.

"To date, work programme contractors have been responsible for twice as many sanctions on the people referred to them as they have successfully helped people find work. Combined with CAB's latest figures this paints the strongest picture yet that the system is not working as it should."

To me this all suggests that there is a major part of our society whose needs are not being met by the current measures in place by the UK government to counteract poverty and to get people into work. But we didn’t need statistics to shine a light on this. 

A huge driving force behind our work at New Start Highland is identifying un-met need and specifically hidden poverty and hidden homelessness the area. If you live in Inverness, it’s true you’re unlikely to see anywhere close to the numbers of people on the street and in alleyways of the bigger cities with no home to go back to. This might suggest that homelessness and poverty isn’t a problem. But it is, although one that is swept away from public view. 

What about families stuck in temporary accommodation? Or sheltered housing? Often living with many others in the same situation, and often for much longer than they would care too. For whom benefit cuts, sanctions and unemployment just provide extra barriers to living the life many of us take for granted. Then there are those who are facing hardship but are unsure where to turn or that don’t fit into a specific bracket where help is available. This is what we see as un-met need and a huge part of identifying this un-met need is in linking with other organisations in the area who might be in a better place to encounter it. It is crucial that we seek as many opportunities as we can to address this need, and ensure better outcomes for all people who use our services. 

New Start Highland is a promising solution to poverty in the area, but in this day and age, we still need to help forge routes toward that solution.  Just last week in fact, we have opened our doors to representatives from the community including charity and church workers who may see poverty first hand. We put on a tour and info session for representatives here at New Start Highland to see how we could work with these people. In particular, to refer people in need of furniture, electrical and essential items i.e something to eat with, sleep on, sit on or cook with.These are things that many of us take for granted but for many something that cannot be afforded or accessed elsewhere. It is hoped that as a result, more people can find the support that is available in the face of the issues that are presenting themselves as a result of welfare cuts, and for which a real need is apparent. 

While the reasons behind towering poverty statistics run deeper than what charity can do, to work well charities must be innovative and shift to match the political landscape. We are more than a charity; New Start Highland is a very dynamic social enterprise. In the 14 years since our inception, we have done fantastic things for thousands of people, and supported people into becoming their own solution to the problems they face, and stop themselves from falling into a cycle of poverty. However, where a need exists for basic measures to stem poverty, we are still equipped to help.  It is to present ourselves as the solution – not just to their immediate needs, but to a fuller, happier life that is always going to be our focus. 

So consider that where someone can’t afford food and is forced to use a food bank, and while this is sad and shocking– it also suggests that there are likely a whole host of issues that face them, head on, waiting to manifest themselves as poverty.

For more information on New Start Highland and what we do, please visit:
www.newstarthighland.org
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