The UK’s first trial of an electrical repair voucher scheme and a community food waste project will receive £100,000 each from the North London Community Fund.
North London Waste Authority (NLWA) awarded the grants to The Restart Project, in collaboration with ReLondon, and Octopus Community Network after the fund was split into two stages for the first time.
Both projects aim to deliver waste reduction interventions over two years, focusing on behaviour change and reaching north London communities that are not currently participating in pro-environmental actions.
Since launching in 2017, NLWA said the North London Community Fund has awarded funding to 61 organisations in the boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Haringey, Islington, and Waltham Forest.
More than 30 groups across the seven constituent boroughs are set to receive support over the next two years.
Co-Director of The Restart Project, Fiona Dear, said they were delighted to receive the funding which will allow them to trial an electrical repair voucher scheme in London and thanked NLWA.
“Other countries have found that repair vouchers are a popular measure which directly benefits citizens and local repair shops,” Dear said. “And they’re effective at getting people into the habit of repairing. We look forward to seeing these benefits in north London.”
Circular Economy Advisor for ReLondon, Rachel Singer, said the project is the first time that an electrical repair voucher scheme will be trialled in the UK.
“The project holds significant potential to unlock economic, environmental and social benefits across the capital, and support London’s efforts to become a global capital for repair,” Singer said.
Octopus Community Network delivers food waste recycling on council-maintained housing estates in Islington by supporting residents to make connections with growing food and composting.
Development Manager for Octopus Community Network, Julie Parish, said: “Securing funding through the NLWA’s ‘North London Community Fund’ will help us collaborate with like-minded people and organisations to transform how people think about food waste.
“We will be focusing on food waste upcycling, shifting behaviour and mindsets away from throw-away waste to create rich organic matter that improves soil in which communities can come together to grow food.”
