LAWR

March 2014 Local Authority Waste & Recycling 25 COMMUNITY Kettering charity KCU has appealed for more organisations to get involved in a scheme that is helping vulnerable people in the borough. The Kettering Community Recycling Forum has been set up by charity KCU to ensure unwanted household items are delivered to tenants in social housing who have little in the way of furniture. The scheme ensures items avoid being sent to landfill and are used to make a difference to people's lives. It already has the backing of Kettering Council, companies like Asda, Drapers Furnishers and RJ Rogers and Sons as well as other charities, including Teamwork, according to the Northamptonshire Telegraph. The scheme helped win KCU the furniture recycling contract from Kettering Council. KCU spokesman Paul Jackson told the Northamptonshire Telegraph that more than 2,000 children were living in poverty in the borough, and the initiative went a small way towards providing for those in most need. He explained: "What we have created is a forum consisting of Kettering Borough Council, local charities and local businesses. Members of the forum will donate furniture or h o u s e h o l d goods for people that need it most." Elsewhere, an initiative aimed at helping children care for their environment is coming to schools in Knowsley. March will see the arrival of special 'Educrate' boxes at 12 primary schools in Knowsley helping pupils learn more about four environmental themes. These themes include: food waste reduction, composting and growing from soil to table, reusing items and making new from old with textiles and knitting workshops. Local green transformation charity Faiths4Change is spearheading the project, in partnership with Knowsley Council, after securing £18,780 funding from the Merseyside Recycling and Waste Authority and Veolia Environmental Services Community Fund. The crates, containing all the materials needed to run fun, practical sessions linked to the curriculum, will be delivered to primary schools in the Merseyside area including Malvern Primary school, Stockbrige Village Primary and Kirkby Primary. C o m p u t e r recycling specialist XPO IT Services has announced a major new appointment to its staff as part of an increased demand for its services, with three other new positions becoming available shortly to cope with company expansion. Richard Nuttall has been appointed as business development manager having worked for the past six years in sales and marketing with a large national IT distributor, managing brands like Belkin and Verbatim. Bell Equipment UK has appointed Richard Higgott to its team as UK sales manager, filling a role previously held by recently promoted managing director, Nick Learoyd. Higgott brings extensive sales management experience to his new post, having held the position of north and national sales manager at Liebherr for the past two years. Before that, he held a sales role with heavy equipment manufacturer Terex. S h r e d d i n g t e c h n o l o g y provider UNTHA UK has paved the way for two senior promotions within the team. Neil Jefferies has taken on the role of UNTHA UK's finance director, whilst Marcus Brew has stepped into the position of sales director. These two newly created posts highlight the ongoing structure that is being added to this entrepreneurial business, as its customer base continues to expand. Movers & shakers Recycling thieves warned by council A council boss has warned that thieves who steal recycling bags from people's drives will be prosecuted and dragged through the courts, according to the Echo.co.uk. White bags, which residents leave out for Cory Environmental to pick up on behalf of Southend Council, are being reported stolen with increasing frequency across Southend and other parts of south Essex. The thefts are mainly down to the high re-sale price of textiles. Steven Crowther, Southend Council's waste team manager, told echo.co.uk that the council was treating the matter seriously and urged police and prosecutors to make an example of the thieves. Speaking to the media channel, he added: "We always push for arrests to go to court because it acts as a deterrent to others who think it's easy pickings. "When these cases have been taken to court in the past, they've been challenged by offenders who have said, if it's rubbish left on the highway then they have the right to take it." Community roundup

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