Introducing SFW Hub: Leeds
The Scrap Creative Reuse Arts Project is a social enterprise based in Leeds, that is focused on helping the environment by reusing waste materials from businesses as resources for art and play. The Scrap Shop in Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley, is open to everyone and filled to the brim with discarded materials, originally destined for landfill. Established in 2006 in a small unit in Leeds, SCRAP has evolved from a funding-reliant organisation to a self-sustainable not-for-profit social enterprise. Founded by Louise Lucas, an individual with many years experience in the education and community sectors and a life-long passion for environmental and sustainability issues who could see the potential in diverting business waste as low-cost resources for art, play and learning.
SCRAP diverts a whopping 100 tonnes of non-toxic business waste each year from landfill to their Centre of Creative Reuse, Play and Learning. Materials are sold at very reasonable prices and reused for art, play and education by schools, local community groups, students and creative individuals. In addition to the Scrap Store, the team offer a variety of services including ScrapSheds, reStore - an eco-friendly refill station - and creative workshops and training, with all activities focused on the environment and reuse. Alongside this, SCRAP provides ScrapSheds to schools across Yorkshire, run environmental corporate days and training and craft sessions for adults and children.
ScrapSheds are simply wooden sheds or metal containers which are filled with recycled materials and equipment suitable for outdoor play such as tubes, pipes, large boxes, plastics, reels, old tyres, tarpaulin and items for den building plus much more. These materials are ideal for facilitating imaginative play, allowing children to create new worlds. One teacher commented on the beauty of ScrapSheds in their school:
In an exciting development, the SCRAP Creative Reuse Hub was launched earlier this year in the heart of Scrap Store. Louise Lucas, director of SCRAP commented:
“The SCRAP Creative Reuse Hub is an ever changing, open plan space where individuals and organisations, community groups and families can meet together to repair, mend, upcycle and create as part of workshops and drop in and pop up events, all of which have a thread of sustainability and the circular economy running through them. So far in 2024 we've hosted fashion and textile workshops, clothes swaps, repair/mend it cafes, sustainable markets, play and create family activities, talks and discussions and more! We are so excited to see what the future will bring for everyone in this welcoming and inclusive space.”