Transforming reclaimed wood into high-quality furniture and products
Glasgow Wood Recycling transforms reclaimed wood which could otherwise be wasted into high quality furniture and products.
The social enterprise and charity, launched in 2006, follows the Community Wood Recycling model. It has made furniture from reclaimed timber for a diverse range of customers from the public to hotels, boutique wedding venues, retail outlets, and schools.
The business has prevented over four thousand of tonnes of wood from being wasted, provided exceptional training to hundreds of people and has 19 employees and 45 volunteers.
In this episode, Peter Lavelle covers engaging and looking after volunteers, securing appropriate customers, staying true to your values, winning the 2018/19 Citi Microentreprenuership Award for Sustainability and working with a responsible finance provider.
Here’s the episode to play or download; you can also find it in Apple Podcasts / iTunes. Full timings are below.
Timings:
- 0:00 Introduction: What Glasgow Wood Recycling (GWR) does and its history.
- 4:04 Just how much wood has GWR saved from being wasted? And what about the entire Community Wood Recycling network?
- 5:08 Peter describes some of GWR’s products – and who its customers are.
- 7:49 GWR’s values, how it maintains them, and some opposing pressures which can lead to tension.
- 11:48 It can be a huge step for many folk to volunteer, says Peter, as he describes GWR’s support and communication processes and gives tips on engaging and looking after volunteers.
- 15:17 Securing customers and building word-of-mouth.
- 18:12 The importance of systems and processes to make the business run smoothly.
- 20:18 Why looking after cashflow is vital.
- 21:47 Earlier this year GWR won the Sustainability Award in the 2018/19 Citi Microentrepreneurship Awards. What did the prize mean to Peter, colleagues, volunteers and trainees?
- 23:15 Why Glasgow Wood Recycling worked with responsible finance provider, DSL Business Finance – and what were the benefits?
- 25:29 Plans for the year ahead and – hot-off-the-press – some exciting new products.
- 28:15 Why Peter is an evangelist for social enterprise and for community wood recycling.
- 29:27 Wrapping up and getting in touch.
What next?
- Visit Glasgow Wood Recycling and DSL Business Finance.
- Read about topics covered and listen to previous episodes on our website or in Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes).
- Please share the podcast, tell others about it, and ideally leave a rating or review so other people can learn about the work and impact of responsible finance providers.
- Find your nearest responsible finance provider: www.findingfinance.org.uk
- And if you’re a responsible finance provider or a client and you’d like to put yourself forward to be on the show, get in touch – email podcast producer, Jamie Veitch.