'We're using wood to do good in our community'

The founders of a new wood recycling group in Wolverhampton said they hope to support people experiencing isolation or mental health issues by making new furniture and offering a safe space.

Jim Brennan and Eimert de Graaff launched their social enterprise, Wolverhampton Wood Recycling, with about nine volunteers at the end of last year.

They collect unwanted wood from building sites for a fee before cleaning and de-nailing it and either selling it on or turning it into furniture, like benches or bird boxes.

They plan to open a repair cafe, start workshops and crucially their own Men's Shed - a place for people to come to and chat and work on wood-related projects.

The community interest company (CIC) currently operates from Upper Villiers Road but the team hopes to move to new premises as they expand.

The group covers everywhere west of Birmingham - up to Stoke-on-Trent, down to Worcester and out to Shrewsbury and Oswestry, Brennan said.

They opened their retail area recently and also make bespoke items as well as packing the wood up for sale.

The volunteers are aged from 23 to over 70 and are people who want to learn new skills before going onto college or who just want to keep busy, de Graaff, originally from Holland, said.

Brennan said he has lots of "hopes and dreams" for their organisation to help the community.

He has worked around the charity sector for the past six years which made him "see the world from a different point of view" and wanted to give something back.

His own issues with mental health in the past prompted him to want to use the Men's Shed idea and set something up himself.

The Men's Sheds group encourages people to come together "to make, repair and repurpose, supporting projects in their local communities".

"So people who retire - for most its great but for a certain percentage it's a nightmare," he said.

"They're suddenly stuck at home, isolated, missing the lads... so if we can build one, then those guys can come and have a cup of tea and a chinwag with the boys - that's only good for mental health.

"Then perhaps we can move from that and get a repair cafe for the local community... and those guys have a nice project to work ok," he said.

"We've got all the equipment, the facility and we can build that mental health things around that."

He added: "It's using the recycling of used wood to do good in the community.... give it a new life."

De Graaff said they hoped to offer classes and hopefully take on paid staff.

"I myself, I retired five years ago and it sounds a bit cheesy, but I wanted to give something back," he said.

"It's great work, it keeps me fit."

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