News

Young people on our creative employability programme in Irvine are this week set to
auction upcycled furniture to raise money for Impact Arts’ programmes!

Wardrobes, tables, cabinets, chairs and mirrors will be
going under the hammer at Cunninghame Furniture Recycling Company at
Heatherhouse Industrial Estate on Wednesday 6^th December 2017 between 4pm
and 6pm.

The group – all aged 16 and 17 and not in work or education
– have been working with our artists Portia and Emmett to sand, paint and redesign old unwanted furniture in order
to stop it going to landfill.

The project has been run in partnership with Cunninghame Housing
Association’s furniture charity. They have provided the old furniture and the
auction will be held at their premises.

Lauren, 16, has been taking part in the programme since the
beginning of October.

She says: “We’ve been taking old furniture and working on it
to get it to a standard that people will want to buy.

“After you’ve finished working on something, you feel great
because you’ve made something that you can give to someone else to make use of.

“The course has been a big help for me. The staff go through
your options, look at jobs and college places with you, and give you a better
idea of what you want to do.

“It’s great that the money we raise will be going back to
employment projects because there are young adults out there that need help
finding out what to do with themselves.”

Nicola Wood is co-ordinating the project for Impact Arts.

She says: “It’s been great to have recycling as a big part
of this project, as green issues are always really important for the young
people we work with.”

“The young people have been brilliant. They have taken to
the woodworking techniques and employment side of the course really well, and
being able to sell their work at a public event will be great for their
confidence.”

The programme is funded by Skills Development Scotland,
Inspiring Scotland, Tesco Bags of Help, Clydesdale Bank, Cunninghame Housing
Association and Our Bright Future, which backs projects to get young people
leading environmental change in their communities.

If you would like to attend on Wednesday, or would like more
information, please contact Nicola Wood on 0141 575 3001 or email nwood@impactarts.co.uk.