July 15, 2020 - 1509 views
Crest Co-Operative have recently acquired a new site in Pabo Lane, Llandudno Junction. The company which have shops in Colwyn Bay and in the Junction have recently been developed the ex- Jewson builder's unit into a purpose-built Reuse Facility.
At the site, Crest staff and volunteers will invest in re-use infrastructure and further test, clean and reuse more white goods which will then be sold in the local area and to other charities and social enterprises across the UK.
The textiles reuse operation has also moved to Pabo Lane, as well as the Work Opps department, a team of adults with learning and physical disabilities and their support workers.
This site will not be open to the public, however the changes will help create more space in the Ferry Farm Road head office for further expansion of their retail shop.
At present, Crest's white goods operation is processed through the Brierley House site at Ferry Farm Road. The organisation collects, cleans, repairs and tests washing machines, dryers, cookers, fridges and freezers as well as smaller electricals such as kettles, toasters and lamps.
The repaired appliances are then sold in their shops with a a 12-month warranty. Like-minded charities and social enterprises across the UK are also able to purchase white goods wholesale to sell to their customers. Providing preloved white goods has become a big success for Crest; however, there’s been a lack of space to increase their operation.
When the site at Pabo Lane became available, Crest moved quickly to secure the site. This investment will help improve reuse infrastructure and increase productivity, which will divert waste from landfill and create further employment.
General Operations Manager Rod Williams said, “Our new site on Pabo Lane has better facilities for repairing and testing appliances, and has additional floor and storage space, which means we can increase the throughput of goods and increase productivity to meet the demand of affordable preloved white goods”.
“Since introducing our 12-month warranty on all preloved white goods last year, we have seen a huge increase in demand for stock, as this provides a competitive alternative to the high street prices,” Rod continues.
“The Reuse Facility will increase the productivity to meet that demand by allowing our staff and volunteers to repair and reuse even more white goods than before, further benefitting our community and the environment.”
Another department that will be changing location is the Work Opps team and their support workers.
Crest have over 25 placements for adults with learning and physical disabilities across their enterprises, such as in the Retail shops or collecting furniture and clothing from customers.
However, the main hub for the department will be at the new site in Pabo Lane, which will include the building and maintaining of polytunnels. This is a continuation of providing new skills and abilities for the team, with the recent addition of Crest Radio.
The department also oversee the textile reuse operation, where they sort through customers donations of clothes, handbags, shoes and bedding, which is then reused back into the community through our Retail shops.
“The Reuse Facility will allow our adults with learning and physical disabilities to grow their own fruit and vegetables and maintain flowerbeds using locally sourced compost”, Rod further explains. “With the success of Crest Radio, these new facilities will provide additional skills that Crest can offer as a package for our Work Opps team.”
With so many activities being moved from the Brierley House site to Pabo Lane, the opportunity is there for Crest to expand their Retail outlet at the original site located on Ferry Farm Road.
More facilities will be implemented, including a storage space for purchased furniture awaiting delivery as well as expansions to include more sofas, a larger clothing range and increased shelving for bric-a-brac and accessories. These changes are expected to be in place in the coming weeks.
