Is yours a resourceful community

Resourceful Communities is a project for community groups and parish councils.


The aim of the Resourceful Communities project is for community groups to arrange their own waste prevention events in their local community. We can offer support & advice to groups who are interested in the project.

We have produced a suite of 10 "How To" guides to enable and empower groups to run their own resource efficiency sessions. These will help provide local groups with the tools and knowledge to deliver these sessions, based on local need, and leading to environmental, social and financial benefits within the local community. Once communities have successfully delivered an agreed number of sessions they are awarded `Resourceful Community` status.

The 10 guides available include:

1. A `give and take` event to swap general household items and grow the community`s involvement in sharing networks such as Freegle and Streetbank.

2. Food waste reduction skills session to raise awareness and skills in avoiding waste.

3. Surplus food gathering session introducing ways to coordinate community based food collections for local redistribution or donating to the local foodbank.

4. A community cook event to gather community food donations for a community meal to raise awareness of food waste.

5. Nappucino real nappy event to introduce reusable nappies as an alternative to disposables.

6. A clothes swapping (Swishing) event such as sports, ladies` or men`s clothing, end of term school uniform shops etc.

7. Toy swap sessions.

8. Community repair event offering practical services and basic skills development for clothing, electrical items and/or general household repair.

9. Upcycling workshop to introduce the idea of taking an item (e.g. of furniture) and making improvements to extend its life.

10. A grow your own and introduction to composting session, which may link to a community garden or feed into a community compost scheme.

If you are interested in finding out more about the Resourceful Communities project or becoming one of our Resourceful Community members, please contact our Waste Prevention Officer Katharine.Banks@cumberland.gov.uk

Below are the 'How to' guides for how to put on an event
 Title  Authored  Size
Document iconHow to run a community cook event 07/10/2015 268k
Document iconHow to run a fix it party 07/10/2015 232k
Document iconHow to run a give and take event 07/10/2015 303k
Document iconHow to run a grow your own event 07/10/2015 272k
Document iconHow to run a nappucino event 07/10/2015 282k
Document iconHow to run a swishing event 07/10/2015 308k
Document iconHow to run a toy swap event 07/10/2015 266k
Document iconHow to Upcycle 29/10/2015 350k
Document iconLove Food Hate Waste 07/10/2015 268k
Document iconSurplus food gathering from your community 07/10/2015 293k


If you have a question about resources or recycling please call one of the following numbers
Cumberland Council: 0300 373 3730
Westmorland & Furness Council: 0300 373 3300
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