The 4Rs is an established social enterprise  situated within the recycling plant in Derry/Londonderry. We recycle and repurpose furniture that would otherwise go to landfill. ​

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The 4Rs work in partnership with the Derry City and Strabane District Council​ with the aim of reducing household items going to landfill complying with EU directives to promote recycling and reuse of items to assist in the creation of a greener environment. We support council’s efforts to reduce their landfill weight by collecting and selling unwanted bulky household furniture and electrical items. At our premises, situated within Pennyburn Recycling Plant, Derry/Londonderry, we repair, recycle and repurpose received items and sell these in our social enterprise to the local community.

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The 4Rs Shed, promotes the use of items and provide local community members the opportunity to reskill/upskill in basic hand tools/joinery, white goods diagnostic and maintenance and upcycling. Participants take these skills away with the confidence to repair and upcycle items within their own homes. This also provides an introduction to areas of training and employment that participants would never have previously considered.

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The 4Rs’ Volunteer Programme offers community members the opportunity to volunteer with us in order to gain skills and confidence whilst making friends and becoming more connected to their local community. Volunteers can help out in the workshop, help our electrician with white goods diagnostics or assist in our social enterprise gaining skills in retail and customer service. We also offer volunteers the opportunity to help our driver with delivery and collection of furniture items. We collaborate with the North West Volunteer Centre to promote this programme amongst the community.

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The 4Rs Drop In Morning is open on Mondays from 9.30am-12.30pm and is an opportunity for the local community to call in and learn skills in sewing, knitting, crocheting, upcycling, joinery and white good diagnostics and repair. Attendees can bring their own items from home to work on or, choose something from 4Rs stock. The Drop In Morning promotes recycling and reuse whilst providing a safe, welcoming environment for community members to come together, connect with others and learn recycling skills over a cup of tea/coffee and a sweet treat. This programme is a new concept for the current 4Rs management team and has been made possible by the hard work of our volunteers who have a brought a range of skills. We hope to develop a gardening element to the Drop In sessions in the near future.

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The success of the 4Rs is strengthened by collaborative working with the local community; we cannot work in isolation as we firmly believe that the only way to ensure inclusivity is by engagement with others to ensure that we offer a wide variety of opportunities for our community members.

 

We endeavour to employ staff who have the same ethos and who are motivated in supporting and empowering those within our community who face barriers to opportunities. We will continue to deliver and build upon the work that we do to remove barriers and empower our local community members to improve their lives, increase their connections, make new friendships and gain new skills.