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What We Do 

Upcycle Kernow CIC offers practical solutions to usable waste at a grass-roots level, and offers a public recycling point, accepting Terracycle packaging, textiles, shoes, clothing & accessories, and usable DIY/building supplies.

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We also offer a SESI products refill service, refilling your plastic bottles multiple times, at a cost effective price for high grade, environmentally friendly products.

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Educational workshops, seminars, team building programmes, support groups and Upcycling Workshops are part of the services provided at Upcycle Kernow, offering a safe, fun environment to explore your creative or practical side, a dedicated space to learn new skills, develop artistic passions and meet like-minded people who are keen to support community wellbeing and climate action through meaningful activities.

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Community Events bring people of all ages together, beating social isolation, promoting positive mental health habits, as well as saving you money and looking after the planet!

Together we

  • learn, share, motivate and inspire each other

  • champion mental health and positive wellbeing choices

  • save money and save the planet

  • celebrate social inclusion & meet like-minded people

  • are accessible for all; if you can't get to us we'll come to you!

Repair Cafes are a popular place to meet other like-minded people, keen to repair not replace all your broken items, electrical, mechanical or textile based, jewellery, toys and even furniture!! These community days are successful due to the volunteers who offer their skills, committed to saving items from landfill and advocating the Right to Repair. A great place to pick up tips and hints for general maintenance of all sorts of items around the home.

 

In need of a wardrobe update? Got too many clothes cluttering up space? Why not join in one of our Community Swishes - a clothes swap party on an epic scale! Swishing is a great option for those on a tight budget, are mindful of the environment,

or would just like a wardrobe update.​

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#Tooligans is a programme specifically for vulnerable teenagers and young adults, giving them the opportunity to use a variety of hand and power tools to design and create items for their
school, youth project or supported housing. This gives them real hands on practical experience, laying the foundations for future developments.

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Our Mobile Workshop can bring these meaningful, fun activities to your local community, whether that be town square, community centre, supported housing scheme, therapy centre, or village fete. 

Why not contact us to see how we can bring our services to you?

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#The Wood Shed is a developing community project, to construct a solar powered shed, and will offer access to our Rent-a-Bench projects, Upcycling workshops, Tool Library, the 3 R's, The Tooligans Programmes as well as other planned projects.

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#TexInnovation is a collaboration between UpK and Cultivate Cornwall CIC, addressing commercial textile waste at a manufacturing level.
 

Bags of Hope is a scheme encouraging skills advancement to volunteer sewists, by making refillable bags that distribute distributing food, clothing, sanitary protection, toiletries and even craft packs to those who would otherwise go without.


Talented volunteers have employment opportunities through manufacturing projects, with Odyssey Innovation, TonyG and other innovative companies. For details on how our consultancy service can assist your textile needs please email us at info@texinnovation.co.uk

 

#The 3 R's is a 12 session toolkit programme for those using upcycling as a path to self discovery/recovery as part of a mental health support package. Written, developed and delivered in collaboration with Portheden CIC, each step is specifically designed to develop useful, practical tools for living a positive healthy lifestyle.

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Upcycle Kernow CIC has also build a great reputation for designing innovative, sustainable festival and event décor, delivering inspiring décor for local events such as The Masked Ball, The Porthleven Food Festival, Tunes in The Dunes, The Great Estates and Tropical Pressure Festivals. We have also participated in a number of festival engagements across the South West, bringing our Upcycling workshops into the field. 

 

Contact us for further information if you'd like us to attend your summer event or festival.

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Meet the Team

From the fixers at our Mobile Workshop & Repair Cafes, the staff who run our shop, the creatives who make everything look so beautiful, and the admin fans who keep us all organised, UpK is manned by dedicated volunteers and expert creators. Everybody has a skill to share, and people's quirks are admired here.

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Dawn Thompson 

Project Leader

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Ellie Plant 

EP Designs Seamstress

TeX Studio Manager

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Alex Goodwin

Community Engagement

Workshop Facilitator

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Karen Jeffereys 

Terracycle Support & Safeguarding Officer

Volunteers

Volunteer Vacancies

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  • Repair Cafe Fixers (carpentry, electronics, sewing, soldering)

  • Maintenance & general potterers with timber tendencies

  • Equipment Librarian (tools etc) with electrical know-how

  • Pattern cutters, sewing fanatics

  • Media, admin and systems gurus

  • Retail extroverts

  • Sorters, scavengers who can see potential in usable waste

  • and most importantly...people who can make good tea/tidy up!

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                        Get in touch to volunteer by clicking here...

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