August 2009
Can Can Recycling Clothing Appeal.
Can Can Recycling, a local charity for adults with learning difficulties based at Seymour Street, are beginning to experience the effects of the recession and is encouraging members of the public to donate any unwanted clothing, shoes, handbags and belts to their clothing banks to help generate vital income for this local charity.
Can Can has a total of 25 clothing banks in the Ballymoney, Coleraine and Limavady Councils areas.
Donations to these banks provide 25 training placements to people with learning difficulties. This enables them to gain experience and skills in the working environment, as well as giving them the confidence to become more integrated into the community. They have training for a total of 2 years and then progress into supported employment or volunteering opportunities.
The trainees at Can Can sort through the donated materials which also include aluminium cans, ink cartridges and mobile phones and then they sell the recycled items on for further processing. The clothing is separated into good quality and poorer quality. All good quality items is either sold on e-bay or sold in Can Can Bazaar our charity shop on Main Street Ballymoney and the poorer quality items are sold to rag merchants for further processing.
Clare Carson project manager said “We would also like to take this opportunity to say that we are aware that many households have been targeted by clothing appeals and bag drops from other charities in recent weeks, however we would like to encourage individuals to also consider the work which is being carried out on a local level for the good of local people. We are aware that there are many deserving cases and we hope that the general public will consider Can Can also a deserving case.”
Can Can want to highlight that 100% of generated income from their clothing banks goes direct to the charity.
Can Can Recycling are also appealing to communities, businesses and individuals to collect aluminium cans, computer cartridges and donate them to the project. Can Can will provide all the necessary collection items free of charge, including collection bins, bags and posters.
For further information you can phone 028 2766 7775 or e-mail info.cancan@compasspeople.org
Textile Recycling reaches Limavady Council area
Can Can Recycling have now expanded its textile recycling scheme into the Limavady area thanks to the support of Limavady Borough Council.
Can Can Recycling is a user led charity offering training opportunities for adults labelled with learning disabilities. The project has been in operation since 1999 and has been growing from strength to strength. They are based in Ballymoney but provide a service to many people within the Ballymoney and Coleraine areas and now expanding into Limavady. They collect various waste materials including aluminium cans and foil, ink cartridges, mobile phones and clothes.
Clare Carson, Recycling Supervisor said “We at Can Can are extremely grateful to the council for this opportunity in placing our bank at various recycling sites. We are continually seeking ways to expand recycling opportunities not only for our organisation but also for everyone living in the local area. We have placed banks at Ballyquin Rd Limavady, Sports Pavilion Chapel Road Dungiven, Bellarena, and Benone. I would call upon everyone living in and around these areas to please use the textile bank. We are able to accept donations of old clothes, shoes, handbags and belts. Through everyone’s donations we hope that this will secure the future of our organisation as well as reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill.”
Over 1 million tonnes of textile waste are thrown away every year of which 50% is potentially recyclable. However in the UK, only 25% of textile waste is reused or recycled. Clothes that are sent to landfill pose two problems – textiles made from man made fibres do not decompose reducing landfill space and natural fibres such as wool do decompose, producing methane which contributes to global warming.
Clare continued “All of the clothes donated through our banks will be sorted, some of the clothes will be sent on for further recycling and others will be re-sold in our charity shop, Can Can Bazaar located on Main Street, Ballymoney. Members of the public can be assured that every single penny generated from their donations will be put back into our project helping to improve the quality of life for people with learning disabilities.”
Mr Martin McNicholl, Limavady Borough Council said, “I wish Can Can Recycling every success in their expansion, I would encourage everyone living in the local area to help support a worthwhile organisation that not only encourages everyone to recycle but also provides a valuable service for adults labelled with a learning disability.
Glebeside Recycling bank burnt out
Can Can Recycling have had their clothes recycling bank burnt to a crisp.
On Mon 8th Oct staff and members from can can recycling received the devastating news that their plastic recycling bank at Glebeside Spar had been burnt.
On arrival to the bank staff at Can Can were disgusted by the scene.
Clare Carson Recycling Supervisor stated, “I couldn’t believe what I was being told until I saw it for myself, I am so disappointed. Not only has our bank been burnt to a crisp but there has been substantial damage caused to the property of Glebeside spar”.
Clare continued “This bank was one of our first banks to be placed in the town, nearly 3 years it has served the residents in and around the Glebeside area. With the bank being situated at the shop, customers from within a 6 mile radius had been noted to use the bank, it had been supported immensely.”
Can Can, who are based in Ballymoney have been running for over seven years, they provide training opportunities for adults labelled with learning disabilities as well as giving them the confidence to become more integrated into the community.
Clare said “I would appeal to the people to stop and think about how this has affected our charity, they should feel ashamed. These banks cost in the region of £600 a huge amount for the charity to lose. The members put a lot of effort into their 
work and this has affected us all. At this stage we are still unsure if we will place another bank at this site, we are still in talks with the Spar owner and Ballymoney Council.”
Jim Doherty Chairperson of Glebeside Community Association stated “We have supported the work of Can Can Recycling from the very beginning and the clothes bank had proved a great success among all the residents, it was a great way for us all to recycle our clothes as well as helping adults with learning difficulties. We want to express our concern to the members and staff at this time; it is a huge loss to the project.”
Residents are encouraged to continue to support Can Can by either leaving their unwanted clothes at the community house, use their clothes bank situated on the knock road (skips area), or telephone the project for a house collection.
Clare concluded “I would like to express my thanks to the Glebeside Community Group for supporting our project, it’s the help from Community Groups and their residents that enables our project to grow, we can only hope that this incident will never be repeated. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Glebeside spar owner David Smith for the opportunity to site our bank and also thank staff at Ballymoney Borough Council for their continued help and support.”
If you want to find out more about what we do please contact the project on 276 67775.
Abuse of Textile Bank
Can Can Recycling is urging residents in Balnamore to stop and think what they are placing into the textile bank in the village.
It just over year since Can Can Recycling has taken over the servicing of Ballymoney Borough Council’s textile banks. These include, Balnamore, Cloughmills, Dervock, Dunloy, Killyrammer, Loughguile and Stranocum. This has been a huge success with over 20 tonnes of clothes being recycled from these banks in the last year.
However, over the past few weeks the project has been dealing with abuse of the bank in Balnamore.
Clare Carson project Officer said “The bank at Balnamore has been greatly supported by residents, unfortunately in recent weeks it appears that there is deliberate disposing of rubbish in the bank, this has included food wrappings, buckets, and plastic containers.
“People must understand when you place rubbish into a textile bank, the recycled clothes that’s in the bank can become contaminated, I would appeal to the individuals involved to stop this senseless activity”.
Can Can members (adults labelled with learning disabilities) sort the clothes donated into two types, good quality clothes which go to Oxfam to raise funds for work in Africa and poorer quality clothes used for recycling with proceeds being put back into the project based at Seymour Street.
Clare added “The members put a lot of effort into the sorting of the clothes and its unfortunate they have found bags of contaminated clothes and rubbish within the banks”
Items which can be placed in the banks include clean and dry clothes, shoes, handbags and belts. We can also recycle bed linen like sheets but cannot recycle duvets or pillows.
Clare added “The great majority of local people who use these facilities are to be applauded and I would encourage them to continue to do so, however, a very small minority continue to use the banks inappropriately thus spoiling the efforts of others, Hopefully sanity will prevail and the situation will improve.
If you want to find out more about what we do please contact the group on 276 67775.
Can Can Bazaar ‘denimise the nation’ on Jeans for Genes Day, 5th October!
Staff and volunteers from Compass Advocacy Network, a local charity helping people with learning difficulties including their social enterprises Can Can Bazaar and Can Can Recycling will help ‘denimise the nation’ when they donate £2 each to wear their jeans to work.
The Can Can Bazaar charity shop on main street Ballymoney will also donate £1 for every denim item sold on the week beginning 1st October.
The Jeans for Genes annual campaign is urging thousands of people to make a difference to the lives of children with genetic disorders. The aim is to raise £3million and proceeds will help seven national charities, including Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, the National Deaf Children’s Society and the Sickle Cell Society.
In the UK, one baby in every 33 is born with a genetic disorder or birth defect – that’s one born every 30 minutes whose life could be affected. So far, Jeans for Genes has raised more than £27million to support pioneering research projects and provide valuable support services for affected children and their families across the country.
Clare Carson from Can Can Recycling said “I felt this would be a great campaign to support, especially the fact that many of our members have genetic disorders and by supporting this campaign we will be helping 7 national charities working to help improve the lives of children with these disorders.
We hope to encourage members of the public to “do their bit” for this worthwhile campaign because for every denim item sold in Can Can Bazaar £1 will be donated to Jeans for Genes. Go on get denimised!!!!”
To find out more about Jeans for Genes, visit www.jeansforgenes.com or call freephone 0800 980 4800.
For further information about Compass Advovacy Network and our social enterprises contact Clare Carson, Can Can Recycling 028 276 67775.
Firework thrown into charity textile bank
Can Can Recycling have had a textile bank full of clothes burnt to a crisp.
On Fri 20th Oct staff and members from can can recycling received the devastating news that their bank in Portballintrae had been burnt out with a suspected firework.
On arrival to the bank staff at Can Can was discussed by the scene.
Clare Carson Recycling Supervisor stated, “I couldn’t believe what I was being told until I saw it for myself, I am so disappointed.”
Clare continued “This bank has been in place at Portballintrae since July this year and residents in the village have supported the bank immensely. We have collected well over half a tonne of clothes since July from the bank. It has been a huge success”
Can Can, who are based in Ballymoney has been running for over six years, they provide training opportunities for adults labelled with learning disabilities as well as giving them the confidence to become more integrated into the community.
Clare stated “This not only provides great training opportunities for our members but is also a great way for the Portballintrae community to recycle their clothes and support a local charity”
Clare continued “Therefore I would appeal to the people to stop and think about how this affects the charity. I would estimate we have lost well over £100 with this one incident. Luckily the bank itself didn’t suffer to much just the clothes inside. The members put a lot of effort into their work and this has affected us all”.
A spokeperson from Portballintrae Residents association stated “The clothes bank has proved a success among people of Portballintrae, it’s a great way for us all to recycle our clothes as well as helping adults with learning difficulties, we can only hope that nothing like this happens again, and that Can Can continues to provide this great service”.
Clare added “The great majority of local people who use these facilities are to be applauded and I would encourage them to continue to do so, we can only hope that this incident will never be repeated. I would also like to thank Coleraine Borough Council for their help and support.
If you want to find out more about what we do please contact the group on 276 67775.
Supporter of the year award
Can Can recycling, Ballymoney, will now present a yearly award to “supporter of the Year” to recognise the invaluable support they have received from one particular business, community group or individual who stands out amongst the rest.
Can Can Recycling provide’s employment opportunities to 25 people with learning difficulties as well as giving them the confidence to become more integrated into the community.
For 2007 the award has been presented to Northern Heath and Social Services Trust at Pennybridge, Ballymena.
Clare Carson, Can Can supervisor stated “After a lot of discussions we felt the Pennybridge Estate Services had been the most outstanding in 2007 as they had donated a whopping 1080 cartridges in the one year”.
Pennybridge Estates collects cartridges from all over the Ballymena Area Trust premises and then donates them to the charity.
The trainees at Can Can sort through the donated materials which also include aluminium cans, clothes and mobile phones and then they sell the recycled items on for further processing. All generated income from the materials is put back into the project.
Clare stated “Without the help, support and dedication from everyone involved in our project we wouldn’t be where we are today, every single one of our collectors and supporters are invaluable to our project. I would like to take this opportunity to say a big Thank you to everyone and please keep up the hard work”.
Can Can Recycling are appealing to communities, businesses and individuals to collect aluminium cans, computer cartridges and clothes and donate them to the project. Can Can will provide all the necessary collection items free of charge, including collection bins, bags and posters.
For further information you can phone 028 2766 7775 or e-mail info.cancan@compasspeople.org.
8 April 2008
RETEX Recycling makes tonnes of impact
A special recycling project is making ‘tonnes’ of impact in Ballymoney and Coleraine, with the help of the Big Lottery Fund and Business in the Community’s ARENA Network.
RETEX recycling has provided textile recycling points throughout the are
a for handy disposal of old clothes and fabrics.
And profits from the area’s ‘throwaways’ are also being reinvested to provide employment and funding for jobs for people with learning disabilities, as good quality re-cycled clothes are re-sold in the charity’s Daisy Chain Charity Shop on Ballymoney’s main street.
Other textiles are passed on to a similar not-for-profit organisation in Ballymena, for reproduction and supply to other markets.
Claire Carson, from the Compass Advocacy Network, responsible for the scheme, explained; “Lottery funding of just over £90,000 allowed us to underpin the RETEX project, which now has 22 adults with learning difficulties enrolled in the scheme.
“Bridging the gap between school and employment is one of the aims of the project, as is reducing the amount of textiles heading for landfill.
“This is a huge boost for them and their families, developing skills, building social inclusion and offering a clear path to employment for participants.”
In 2006, the RETEX roject and its sister agency CAN CAN Recycling, has collected 25 tonnes of material for recycling from restaurants, hotels, pubs and nightclubs, factories, schools and council amenity sites.
Already, in the first six months of 2007, this has grown to a staggering 34 tonnes of material.
For further information, contact Clare Carson at the Compass Advocacy Network on 028 27 667 775 or click online at www.compasspeople.org.
Textile Recycling reaches Ballybogey
Can Can Recycling have now expanded its textile recycling scheme into the Ballybogey Area thanks to Mr Brian Kennedy of Centra Ballybogey. Through the siting of one of its textile banks in the carpark at the rear of the shop.
Can Can Recycling is a user led charity offering training opportunities for young adults labelled with a learning disability. The group has been in operation since the late 1990’s and has been growing from strength to strength.
Clare Carson, Recycling Supervisor, Can Can Recycling, said “We at Can Can are extremely grateful to Mr Kennedy for this opportunity. We are continually seeking ways to expand recycling opportunities not only for our organisation but also for everyone living in the local area. I would call upon everyone living in and around the Ballybogey area to please use the textile bank. We are able to accept donations of old clothes, shoes, handbags and belts. Through everyone’s donations we hope that this will secure the future of our organisation as well as reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfill.”
Clare added, “Over 1 million tonnes of textile waste are thrown away every year of which 50% is potentially recyclable. However in the UK, only 25% of textile waste is reused or recycled. Clothes that are sent to landfill pose two problems – textiles made from man made fibres do not decompose reducing landfill space and natural fibres such as wool do decompose, producing methane which contributes to global warming. Therefore I would encourage everyone to please make every effort to use our textile bank. All of the clothes donated through our banks will be sorted, some of the clothes will be sent on for further recycling and others will be re-sold in our charity shop, The Daisy Chain located on Main Street, Ballymoney. I would just like to thank everyone who has supported us in the past and will in no doubt continue to do so in the future. I would also like to thank Ballymoney Borough Council for all their help and ongoing support.”
Mr Brian Kennedy, Centra, Ballybogey said, “I wish Can Can Recycling every success in their new venture and I would encourage everyone living in the local area to help support a worthwhile organisation that not only encourages everyone to recycle but also provides a valuable service for adults labelled with a learning disability.”
If you would like any further information about the project or would like to organise either a can or textile collection please contact the group on 028 276 67775.