The Wood Pile

General information

The project supports the wider community including those who we would support into and towards

employment and those who would like to participate in a voluntary capacity. The client groups we work

with in terms of disability and disadvantage include; physical disabilities, mental ill health, learning

disabilities, people with sensory impairments, substance misuses, lone parents, carers, long term

unemployed, low income families and homeless people. We feel that there are no groups that would be

less likely to take part; this project is all about inclusion and supporting those clients who are normally

excluded from society.

Clients and volunteers work together supported by staff and each other, external agencies are sought to

support with any problems or barriers clients may face to overcome this and progress into a more inclusive

life. Activity takes place out in the community, including marketing, media, demonstrations of furniture

restoration to community groups, and offering courses to the local community on furniture restoration. The

community will be encouraged to upcycle their own furniture or purchase from local charities and restore

furniture, this allows low income families to refurbish their homes stylishly on a budget. Local business also

benefit from low cost recycled wood, and the reduction to landfill in the community we support the local

authorities' targets, we also partner with a network of local charities who are selling furniture, they also gain

from the activity as we seek all our furniture restored from local charities.

Clients and volunteers are supported to access training, gain new work related skills, and progress towards

and into employment. The project is so varied that it allows clients and volunteers to learn a range of new

skills and in house training, opportunities are offered in; customer service, retail, furniture restoration,

joinery, logistics (collection and delivery), business administration, also supporting the delivery of our

restorations courses to clients and the general public, demonstrations in furniture restoration in the

community, marketing and media activity.

Furniture can also be made from the wood that is collected, there are a range of different products that are

manufactured and sold. All of these activities increase the skills that individuals will learn; we link with

other agencies who can offer additional accredited courses to allow people to increase their skill base.

Our day rate for individuals that need additional support is £31 per day, if you would like to visit please

contact Karen Stubbings at thewoodpilecic@gmail.com or telephone 0191 3869735.