Stolen metal causes huge inconvenience and can damage infrastructures

Chief Inspector Julian Snowball, who is heading up the operation, commented:
“To expect a total reduction is unrealistic, but I want to see further reduction on the 48% and that will ultimately be seen as a success.

“Combined, there are about 240 scrap metal dealers and auto salvage yards [in Greater Manchester] and about 100 of those are scrap metal dealers. I don’t know how many will sign up but we’d happily work with all of them.”.

The new scheme is called Business Against Metal Theft Initiative. Businesses that sign up must agree not to share the information they are given by the police with anyone who does not work at the site. They must also keep the police informed if they are approached.

This latest initiative, which will hopefully raise the profile of reputable scrap metal dealers in the North West, wins the support of Recycling Lives. Last year, the company took part in Lancashire’s Operation Starling – a similar regional crackdown on scrap metal theft – and welcomed a team from the local police service, along with cameras from BBC’s Panorama. Recycling Lives was – we’re happy to say – given a clean bill of health during the inspection and continues to run its scrap metal service to the highest standards.

As Recycling Lives Operations Director, Alasdair Jackson, commented at the time, initiatives like Operation Starling, Operation Alloy and the latest scheme in Greater Manchester help to elevate the status of the reputable scrap metal dealers who make every effort to adhere to industry legislation such as the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 1964.

Recycling Lives is a family-run organisation, with over 40 years’ experience in the scrap metal industry. The company owns a number of sites in and around Preston, all of which are run to the highest standards, with arrivals recorded on CCTV and data collected and stored for later review. With the recent boom in scrap metal thefts tarnishing the reputation of the scrap metal industry, Recycling Lives welcomes any initiatives that will help to make the sector a safer and more secure industry for customers and businesses alike

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Their Account and Contract Managers are all friendly, knowledgeable and always willing
to help with any queries, and are a pleasure doing business with.”

We have been very impressed by their prompt, competitive service and have been especially pleased with the commitment to work around our schedule which demanded a lot of hours service.

Coupled with their extensive waste reports and in-depth recycling breakdowns, we will look forward to continuing our relationship on all of our projects for the foreseeable future.

Recycling Lives have always provided excellent support in the collection,
segregation, and management of our waste streams and have worked closely with
us to streamline and report on our waste operations.

The Eric Wright Group is pleased to be associated with Recycling Lives and the
excellent work they carry out through sustainability in the community and look
forward to the continuing development of our association.

During this time Recycling Lives have provided us with services for the collection and recycling of scrap metal, Lead Acid Batteries, refrigerators, WEEE products including Televisions, Large Domestic Appliances and on occasions they have supplemented our transport operations with vehicles and drivers often at very short notice. The service they have provided has been on a 7 day, 362 days a year when required and to meet the demands of the servicing of the recycling centres. During the recent changeover to Digital television the company were servicing some of our busier sites twice per day as the increase in demand in the receipt of the used televisions was in the region of 100 % over several months, increasing from some 12,000 to 24,000 units.

The company has been at the forefront of the introduction of new legislation particularly when the CFC gases began to be removed from refrigerators and it was necessary to treat them in controlled environment and the introduction of the WEEE regulations. I have found them on all occasions to be helpful and competitively priced and regular contact is maintained to discuss any issues that may arise for either party and to discuss the changes in prices of materials.

I trust that this information is sufficient for any enquiries you are making with regard to the services Recycling Lives provide, but if you wish to contact me, I would be happy to help in any way I can.

Recycling Lives CEO and founder Steve jackson receiving his honourary degree from UCLan

Finally, in 2009, Steve’s primary ambition was realised with the inauguration of the Recycling Lives social welfare charity. Based in the heart of Preston, the Recycling Lives centre is now home to a number of long-term unemployed and homeless people. The charity, which is fully funded by Recycling Lives’ commercial success, supports Residents as they work their way back to independent living and full-time employment, providing them with accommodation, training, work experience and employment opportunities and helping them to rebuild their self-confidence.

Speaking about his honorary fellowship at the University of Central Lancashire, Steve commented:
“I’m really proud to have been made an honorary fellow at UCLan – it’s a great feeling to know that Recycling Lives has made a real difference to the lives of many people, and that the organisation is something for Lancashire to be really proud of.

“When I decided to found Recycling Lives, I knew I wanted to give something back. What I didn’t realise was how much the concept would grow. Recycling Lives has become a model for other companies, showing that you can combine commercial success with a strong corporate social responsibility commitment to create something truly great.

“The support that Recycling Lives has received from clients, corporate partners and the local community helps us to keep the business and charity moving from strength to strength. When you see someone go from being homeless and unemployed to working and living in their own home, it makes the hard work of each and every person in the company worthwhile.”

Headed up by the organisation’s graphic designer, Jason Shinks, the Grotto was originally intended as a Christmassy treat for the family and friends of Recycling Lives’ staff. However, when local companies heard about the venture,

they were keen to get involved and the Grotto soon grew to become a veritable winter wonderland!

Scores of families from the local area stopped by the Grotto to enjoy some festive fun and, of course, meet the man of the hour: Santa! And, because so many of Preston’s young people had stopped by to meet him, several cheery Recycling Lives Residents stepped in help Santa and make sure everything ran smoothly!

Every child who visited the Grotto was given a carrot to leave out for Rudolph and some special fairy dust to welcome Santa to their home on Christmas Eve. And, because Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without presents, each and every child who visited the Recycling Lives centre this month received a gift, ensuring that they’ll have something to open and enjoy on Christmas morning. A large number of extra gifts were also packed off to local children’s charities earlier in the week, meaning that even those children who weren’t able to come and see Santa at the Recycling Lives centre will be able to share a little of the magic on the big day.

The families who visited Santa’s Grotto were welcomed to sit down together, enjoy a delicious Christmas buffet and share some festive cheer with the other families in the Recycling Lives café. With overwhelmingly positive feedback pouring in for Santa, his elves and, of course, the team at Recycling Lives, this year’s Santa’s Grotto is set to be the first of many!

Recycling Lives’ chief executive, Steve Jackson, commented:

Chief executive, Steve Jackson, commented:

“We’re really pleased to have been able to do something for the local community this Christmas – the fact we’ve managed to help some struggling families along the way has been the icing on the cake.

“It’s been great to see so many familiar faces coming along with their families. The Grotto looked amazing and we’ve had a fantastic turn out. On behalf of the team at Recycling Lives, I’d just like thank everyone who supported us and wish Preston a very Merry Christmas!”

Santa’s Grotto at the Recycling Lives centre on Essex Street was created with the support of several generous local companies, and Recycling Lives would like to say a big thank you to Abakhan, BG Fencing Preston, B&M Bargains, Casdon and IP Jones Fencing for bringing some festive cheer to the people of Preston!

ISG are the main contractor at BAE, they are currently engaged in a number of construction projects at their Warton and Salmesbury sites. They are supporting the Recycling Lives Charity by offering work placements and a Basic Site Awareness training session with all the Charity Residents. Recycling Lives are also ISG’s waste management contractor therefore all site waste is processed at the Recycling Lives Waste Management plant.

During their site visit on Friday 18th November each of the Charity Residents got the opportunity to meet the ISG staff and talk to them about how they carry out the planning and coordination of works for BAE. John, a Charity Resident, said “it was really interesting to learn how ISG support BAE systems”.

By the end of their visit the residents gained a high level of site awareness and good insight into Health and Safety practices when working on such a prestigious site as BAE systems. Lewis, a Charity Resident, said “when I’m ready for employment it would be good to work in such an organized and busy company, I have always wanted to have a look around BAE systems”.

After the site visit Neil Flanagan, Recycling Lives Operations and Training Manager, added “The Residents thoroughly enjoyed their site visit and are very thankful for the opportunity to attend ISG, this offered our residents another insight into the work that goes on within ISG”.

Our training and development manager, Neil Flanagan teaches the children about recycling

The Chorley-based charity provides valuable support for children affected by disabilities or life-limiting conditions. It is the only charity in the North to offer a comprehensive programme of therapy and education to young children within its centre of excellence, ‘The Legacy’.

This week, the charity has been conducting tours of companies in a variety of industries to give the children an insight into the working world. On Monday 24th October, the theme was ‘recycling’ – and for Rainbow House, Recycling Lives was the perfect organisation to visit. Not only do we have a wealth of commercial experience in recycling and waste management, but we also sustain our very own social welfare charity. The charity helps long-term unemployed and homeless individuals back into full-time work through training, education and work experience – click here to read about how one formerly homeless individual returned to independent living with the support of Recycling Lives.

Donned in safety hats and hi-vis jackets, the children were given a full tour of the bustling Recycling Lives Recycling Park by our training and development manager, Neil Flanagan. Neil showed them our Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) line – in which old CRT monitors are taken apart and recycled – as well as the Bulky Waste area, where items collected by our Bulky Waste service are refurbished. In addition to our impressive weigh-bridge and huge Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) storage area, the children saw our forklift trucks in action. All Recycling Lives members of staff take part in rigorous in-house training courses conducted by our training specialists, ensuring they operate safely at all times – as such, the children got to see how the risks of working in a potentially dangerous environment can be minimised.

The Legacy Rainbow House supports children with life-limiting conditions

Finally, the tour concluded with the recycling park’s pièce de résistance: our state-of-the-art Flat Panel Display (FPD) unit processing line. The FPD line is the UK’s first facility dedicated to recycling flat panel TVs and computer monitors, and the children were able to see a large number of FPDs dismantled on a conveyor belt before being transported to a mercury isolation room, where the hazardous mercury tubes within the units are safely removed.

Speaking about the tour, Neil Flanagan said:

“It was a joy to take the children around the recycling park. They were really enthusiastic to learn about our different recycling processes and asked me many questions along the way. Recycling Lives is all about giving opportunities to individuals that come from a disadvantaged background, so it was a real pleasure to give the children a glimpse into the world of recycling.”

Development manager at The Legacy Rainbow House, Hayley Scholes, said:

“The children rarely get to have first-hand experience of a working environment, so I was thrilled when they were given the opportunity to see the Recycling Lives Recycling Park. We admire the work of the charity and felt it would be an inspiration to the children. I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone at Recycling Lives for helping our children have a brilliant day of work experience and a big thank you to Neil for showing them round.”

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Click here to read the full document of feedback!

My colleagues at Jobcentre Plus and I are incredibly proud to be working with Recycling Lives to improve the lives of others. It is a truly inspirational organisation and its success in winning the National Training Award in the North West Medium Employer category was thoroughly deserved.”

I am always astounded by the level of enthusiasm from all staff at Recycling Lives and find there continues to be something innovative happening within this ever-expanding company.

For Recycling Lives to be nominated for the National Training Award was excellent, but then to go on and win it was exceptional. The quote that stayed in my mind from the ceremony was made by National Training Award Judge, Nirmal Singh, who said:

‘When the Recycling Lives application arrived on my desk I thought the organisation was too good to be true – until I visited Recycling Lives and found that there were real jobs, real training, real enthusiastic staff and real people getting the opportunities to progress towards a new path in life.’

I congratulate Recycling Lives for their dedication, insight, enthusiasm and passion to create a safe environment for individuals to develop new pathways in life skills, training and employment, which has undoubtedly changed people’s lives.”

It was a real delight to attend the award ceremony and meet the people involved with Recycling Lives. I spoke to a number of individuals that had participated in the training programme and it was clear that it had impacted positively on their lives, with many keen to continue building on the skills that they had developed through the different courses.

Recycling Lives clearly demonstrates how business-led altruism really does benefit all of the stakeholders.”

The project has a positive impact on the environment by diverting waste away from landfill whilst helping ex-offenders get back to or closer to the labour market. It is a ‘win – win’ for unemployed people and the environment alike.”

Our training co-ordinator, Sidonie Richardson, proudly holding the ESF award

The annual ESF Leader Awards are organised by the European Social Fund Division, part of the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP). The DWP has responsibility for managing the ESF programme in England.

First launched in 2010, the ESF Leader Awards honour organisations that effectively promote equality and sustainable development whilst delivering ESF-supported projects. We have been crowned joint winner of the Sustainable Development Specialist Project category, along with Cornwall Council’s ‘Clear About Carbon’ project.

We help in delivering the Achieve North West project, which is part-funded by the ESF. Working with the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), we improve the employability of ex-offenders through a comprehensive 16-week programme. The programme begins with a Preparation for Employment course that teaches individuals essential skills in health and safety, manual handling and first aid. Following this, individuals are given the opportunity to undertake a range of employment placements over a 15-week period. This equips them with the knowledge and confidence they need to return to full-time work and stops the cycle of re-offending that many individuals on probation find themselves trapped in.

And, as all individuals undertake work placements within Recycling Lives and within a number of our own rather brilliant eco-friendly social enterprises, the project promotes valuable environmental skills. For example, many individuals on the scheme are given the chance to work with Bulky Waste, a charity-driven service that collects, reuses and recycles unwanted furniture and white goods. Individuals gain experience refurbishing a large range of items, including sofas and tables, which are then sold on at the Recycling Lives charity furniture shop. If you haven’t given it a visit, pop on down to Kent Street in Preston and grab yourself a bargain!

We help in delivering the Achieve North West project by offering training and work experience to ex-offenders

The ESF award was presented to Recycling Lives in recognition of the company’s ongoing commitment to protecting the environment and helping ex-offenders get back to work – indeed, seven programme participants are now in full-time employment with Recycling Lives.

Commenting on the award, Recycling Lives training manager, Rob Jackson, said:

“It’s a real honour to receive the ESF Sustainable Development Specialist Project award. The training team has been working incredibly hard over the last year to dramatically change the lives of many ex-offenders, and this award is a testament to our success. We have enabled many individuals to make a fresh start in their lives and, with the help of NOMS and the excellent Achieve North West project, we will continue to do so.”

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Training manger, Rob Jackson, is presented with the Linda Ammon award

Each year, the award is presented to an inspirational individual who has made a huge impact within their organisation through training. The award was set up to commemorate the life of Linda Ammon CBE, who sadly passed away in 2004. An inspirational figure in the training industry, Ms Ammon was held the position of chief executive of UK Skills between 2001 – 2004, guiding the organisation and promoting the highest standards of training through awards and competitions. She worked hard to create opportunities for individuals to develop their careers through training and ensure that the National Training Awards are recognised as the highest accolade for training and development.

The whole team at Recycling Lives is incredibly proud of Rob and honoured that a member of the company has been presented with this award, which venerates such a brilliant individual. Last night’s event, held at WorldSkills 2011 in London, was attended by a large number of reputable organisations. Recycling Lives is delighted to have been recognised not only as a top training organisation, but as one of the most inspirational NTA applicants this year. The Linda Ammon Award is testament to the success that our training department has achieved over the past year, and we’re over-joyed that the on-going dedication to quality training within our organisation is getting the recognition it deserves.

Training manager, Rob Jackson has led our training department from strength to strength during the last twelve months. Under his leadership, the department has ensured that all members of staff at Recycling Lives have the skills and knowledge needed to operate safely in their working environments. In addition, the team has been making a dramatic difference to the lives of vulnerable individuals, who are supported by the Recycling Lives charity.

The charity, which is primarily sustained by Recycling Lives’ commercial activities, helps members of society who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, including long-term unemployed and homeless individuals. In addition to being offered accommodation and 24-hour support, individuals are encouraged to participate in a variety of training courses during their time with Recycling Lives. The courses are essential in equipping individuals with the skills and confidence they need to return to full-time employment.

Recycling Lives has also won a National Training Award in the North West Medium Employer category

Working together, the Recycling Lives charity and training team have helped a number of individuals to make a fresh start in their lives. Earlier this month, Mark ‘Sparky’ Robinson became the latest individual to successfully return to independent living. With the specialist training team on hand, Sparky attained a large number of qualifications, including Health & Safety in the Workplace, First Aid, Manual Handling & Safety Awareness and Drug Awareness. The knowledge that he built through these training courses helped him to gain full-time employment at Recycling Lives. He now also has his own flat in Preston.

Recycling Lives had already won a prestigious National Training Awards prize in the North West Medium Employer category last month, and had been invited to National Training Awards ceremony to receive their trophy. We are ecstatic, then, to come away from last night’s ceremony with two awards.

Speaking about the award, Rob Jackson commented:

“I’m delighted to have won the Linda Ammon Award last night. The accomplishments of the Recycling Lives training department is not just down to one individual, though – it has been a team effort, and I’d like to take this opportunity to personally congratulate everyone for their hard work. We’ve helped a number of disadvantaged individuals to make a fresh start in their lives and we’re looking forward to supporting more people in the months to come.”

See what the judges thought of us!

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Recycling Lives has won an NTA in the North West Medium Employer category

There have been months of hard work in the run-up to tonight’s prestigious event. Following a strenuous judging process, our training department was named the best in the North West Medium Employer category last month. The judges highlighted the huge social benefits that Recycling Lives’ training department has generated for the company and the wider community as the reason for our success in the awards.

The regional award was presented to our training team at a ceremony held last week. The ceremony, which took place at the Recycling Lives Centre in Deepdale, Preston, was attended by over 100 people from a number of our corporate partner organisations, including Procter & Gamble, Job Centre Plus and National Offender Management Service. Preston mayor, Councillor Bobby Cartwright, was also in attendance.

Before the event began, chair of the North West NTA judging panel, Peter Cresswell, was given a tour of the Recycling Lives Charity facilities, which includes private bedrooms and communal living areas for the participants of the Recycling Lives’ residential programme (known as ‘Residents’), allowing them to relax and socialise.

Recycling Lives offers a number of courses, including fork lift truck training

The Recycling Lives charity was founded by Recycling Lives CEO, Steve Jackson just over two years ago. During the event, Steve discussed the positive impact that the charity has had on the community since its inception. The charity, which is sustained by Recycling Lives’ commercial activities, helps members of society who come from disadvantaged backgrounds, including long-term unemployed and homeless individuals. In addition to being offered accommodation and 24-hour support, Residents are encouraged to participate in a number of training courses during their time with Recycling Lives. The courses are essential in equipping the Residents with the skills and confidence they need to return to full-time employment.

During the ceremony, NTA judge, Nirmal Singh praised the work of the training team, stressing that it delivered “real rehabilitation” for Residents and “increased their chances of employment by offering them work-based and externally-accredited training”. He stated that the work of Recycling Lives was not only good for the Preston community but also for the economy of the country. In his concluding remarks, Mr Singh praised the individuals that work at Recycling Lives as “truly exceptional and inspirational people with passion and drive”, adding that the company is a “role model” for other organisations.

Towards the end of the ceremony, the framed NTA certificate was presented to Recycling Lives’ training manager, Robert Jackson. The ceremony concluded with the presentation of NVQ certificates to Residents and staff.

After our success in the regional NTAs, staff at Recycling Lives are very excited about tonight’s event – wish us luck!

Find out more about our training services here.

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