Win, win, win, WIN!

Several years ago I volunteered one evening a week for Tools for Self Reliance, a charity which refurbishes unwanted hand tools and sewing machines to send to projects in six countries in Africa. There, people are trained to set up small businesses in woodworking or clothes-making.

The tools are sourced from dedicated dump-bins at UK recycling centres, so are saved from becoming landfill. Win. Volunteers learn skills such as sharpening chisels, planes and saws, as I was in a school workshop lent to us for the evening. Win. The tools enable craftspeople in Africa to earn their own living. Win.

The organisation I now work for provides work experience for people with multiple barriers to work: people who are homeless or recovering from alcohol or drug addiction, ex-offenders and people with low-level mental health problems. Its social-enterprise businesses include painting and decorating, grounds maintenance, cleaning and house-clearance/recycling. The house clearance sometimes results in furniture that can be repaired or turned into something more saleable, so recently a wood workshop has been set up. When I started work a month ago it had very few tools so I asked TfSR whether they had any extras they couldn't use. To my surprise they sent us a very full list. Our workshop manager chose what was needed, TfSR made up the kits he asked for at very low cost, we booked a van to transport them and today 185kg of tools arrived. WIN!