An initiative to repair and recycle white goods has won top award in a pioneering social enterprise jobs initiative just completed in Co Longford.
Revamp 3R White Goods, already providing 15 jobs in furniture recycling and restoration, now plans to repair and recycle white goods in Longford and its environs. 
It received €2,000 seed funding for development from Social Enterprise Longford (SEL), which ran the programme involving eight potential new enterprises.
Details were announced on Monday, 15 July, in Longford by Seán Sherlock, TD, Minister of State for Research and Innovation.
A recent community survey by Revamp3R revealed 85% would donate used white goods and purchase refurbished items, while local businesses were similarly enthusiastic. The project’s benefits include provision of high quality, low cost goods; jobs created; waste materials efficiently recycled; local skills enhanced and income generated from within the community’s own resources.
A total of 20 full-time and at least 15 trainee places drawn from young unemployed will result over the next two years from eight projects that participated in (SEL). A further 30 part-time jobs will be maintained or have their hours increased.
Keeping House, enabling elderly people remain living at home, and a new retail initiative by Lus na Greinne, shared joint second place and €1,500 each in seed funding. Ardagh Heritage and Creativity Centre, Camlin Catering, Granard Motte Community Enterprise and Longford Centre for Independent Living were joint fourth. Drumlish Community Enterprise was eighth.
All eight projects completed a 12 month business planning and mentoring programme. They are now in the process of launching specific new enterprises and services in the local community.
The successful projects emerged following a series of information meetings held in early 2012 in Longford town, Granard and Lanesboro attended by almost 50 people.
The success of the project is a major boost for the Longford area, according to Pat Kelleher of Longford Employment Development Information (EDI) Centre. “At a time when so many businesses are closing or struggling to survive and people, young and old are being forced into unemployment and emigration, we have shown that jobs and services can be created.
“We were highly impressed by the level of dedication and commitment by the eight projects concerned. All that was required was support and mentoring to enable them to develop their very good ideas further.”
Paul O’Sullivan, CEO of Clann Credo – the Social Investment Fund, which co-organised the SEL programme, said that “the initiative offers a template for jobs and innovation and fits in with government plans to expand social enterprise as part of the National Jobs Plan strategy.
“Longford may be small in size and population, but in the success of this project, it has shown the way for development of social enterprise, creation of jobs and encouraging community initiative and awareness throughout the country,” he said.
Adrian Greene, CEO of Longford Community Resources Ltd, said that following the completion of the SEL project “our goal is to set up a network of aspiring, emerging and established social enterprise projects and the network will be supported by LCRL, Longford CEB and the EDI Centre.
“LCRL would also hope to provide on-going assistance and encouragement in the overall culture of Social Enterprise in Co Longford and wishes every success to the enterprises established through the Social Enterprise Longford project.”
About Social Enterprise Longford (SEL)