At Bosinver, we try to recycle as much as we can as possible, from the glass, plastic and cardboard that that goes in our big recycling bins to the leftover food we feed to the animals or make into compost for the garden.
There comes a time when we have to say goodbye to some of our furniture as well. The sofa, beds, tables and chairs we donโt need any more have still got plenty of life in them, so weโve started donating them to local social enterprise RE:SOURCE.
Together with their sister organisation, RE:STORE, which focuses on refurbishing and restoring furniture, RE:SOURCE provides volunteering opportunities for local people.
The focus is on helping volunteers gain confidence, work experience and skills in areas such as customer service, furniture repair, retail and marketing.
Volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds, including young people trying to find their first job, people whoโve been on benefits or been out of work for some time, and others whoโve retired and simply enjoy passing on their knowledge and skills.
Pre-loved furniture for sale
Furniture and appliances donated to the project are sold in the RE:SOURCE shop in Bodmin at reasonable prices. If anything needs a little TLC, theyโve got a team on hand to restore and repair it first. Itโs a great way for people who are starting off to furnish a house or flat cheaply or pick up a few extra items.
Retro chic
Theyโve also got some more unusual retro items on offer. We recently had a photoshoot in our eco-house to showcase their vintage range of recycled furniture. Lowen was the perfect setting for some of their funky, individual pieces. In fact, we were rather tempted by several itemsโฆ Eco friendly and retro chic โ always a winner!
People who buy furniture from RE:SOURCE arenโt just getting a good deal on second hand items โ theyโre also helping to support people in the local community, as any money they make is reinvested in the project.
Bike hire
RE:SOURCE has also recently started offering second-hand bikes for hire. All the bikes they rent out are refurbished and checked by qualified bike mechanics to make sure they are British Standard BS:6102 before they go out. They offer great value 6-day bike hire, which is ideal for when youโre on holiday. And theyโll even drop them off at your holiday cottage for you.
Thereโs a huge range on offer, including mountain bikes, tourers, folding bikes, disability trikes, childrenโs bikes and tag-alongs. Prices start from ยฃ25 for a childโs bike, while a standard adult mountain bike costs ยฃ50 for six days.To find out more, or to hire bikes, take a look at the RE:SOURCE website.
