RECAP News

10/04/2008 - Red2Green opens new shop to encourage people to recycle

A new shop in Cambridge where people really care for their community, both for local residents and their local environment...

Red2Green, Cambridgeshire’s leading disability charity, has opened a thriving new shop at 297 Histon Road, Cambridge, to encourage people to buy and sell reused and recycled household and office items.  The new shop is a joint venture between the charity and Cambridge Regional College, and means that adults with learning disabilities can now take a series of tailored qualifications, preparing them for work in the retail and IT industries. 

Reboot, Red2Green’s computer refurbishing project, has set up its workshop at the new site, and learners can now take ‘Byte Size’ courses in computer recycling, as well as NVQs in IT for Practitioners, simultaneously gaining valuable work experience for their CVs. 

Also opening on the site is the Cambridge Online Auction Shop, where people can deposit items they want auctioned on the eBay website.  Red2Green’s learners then prepare the items and put them up for sale, presenting them in the best possible light so that the goods sell for as high a price as possible.

Tor Docherty, Red2Green’s chief executive, said:  “This is such an exciting new venture for us.  Our learners have been asking us for ages to put on some retail courses for them, so we jumped at the chance to expand our Reboot project, and also launch the Cambridge Online Auction Shop to encourage the public to think twice about the value of their unwanted items.  With Red2Green, the public can generate income and reduce landfill – a real winner for everyone, including our learners”. 

David Golding, Cambridge Regional College’s Academy Manager for Supported Education, said: “At CRC we pride ourselves on identifying skills gaps in the workforce, and we think that our learners could offer the retail industry in the county some real enthusiasm and commitment.  But classroom learning isn’t the ideal way to learn retail skills, so we’re really pleased that Red2Green has offered to do not only the teaching but give learners a hands-on work experience at the same time”.

Anyone interested in taking the NVQ in IT should contact Reboot on 01223 365917, and more detail about the NVQ in retail can be found by calling the auction shop on 01223 365955.

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