George was delighted to be able to visit the 'Eco-logic' project in its new home - the former Homebase building by Pool Market.
Run by husband and wife team, Owen and Georgina Braines, this fantastic social enterprise project provides a wide range of social benefits in a innovative fashion.
Owen and Georgina began the project 10 years ago as a casual and informal activity, intially as a response to the dirty state of some beaches in Cornwall. This quickly extended to helping people move unwanted furniture and appliances, and then to recycling these objects.
Alongside these community benefits the project aims to support and empower the hard to reach and socially excluded people to improve their confidence, self-esteem and quality of life through peer mentoring, rehabilitation and training.
The new premises provides a large space to conduct training and industrial-scale recycling, but also has a 'shop-floor' where people can 'purchase' second-hand furniture. But leave your money at home - the currency here is volunteer work, an hour for a bookcase, perhaps half a day for a three piece suite.
George Eustice said, "This is a fantastic initiative - the 'Big Society' in action. It is great to see the project in a new home providing so many community services at once. I am glad that the Council are supporting the project, and urge as many people as possible to get involved."