Recycling Lives has won the contract to recycle metal from the Sellafield nuclear site, offering jobs and training opportunities at a new depot in Workington.
The company will also set up a food distribution charity with centres throughout Cumbria, which will also need staff and volunteers.
This follows the success of a similar community programme they have delivered throughout Lancashire.
Martin Chown from Sellafield Ltd said: “We want to ensure our local communities benefit from the money we spend and we do this by insisting that companies that win work with us invest to support local growth.
“I’m excited by the plans Recycling Lives has to create jobs and support disadvantaged people in west Cumbria. It demonstrates the unique power of Sellafield Ltd to attract new businesses to the area.”
“The benefits will be more than just environmental and economic, as we create social impact through job creation and food redistribution.”
The scrap buying and processing facility in Workington, has brought an empty site back into use, and will be open to the public and other businesses from September.
William Fletcher from Recycling Lives, said: “We are pleased to have been chosen as the preferred contractor for scrap metal collection and processing from Sellafield Ltd. We’re really excited to be able to use this contract to create social value across Cumbria.
“The benefits will be more than just environmental and economic, as we create social impact through job creation and food redistribution.”
Its food redistribution service operates on behalf of national organisation, Fareshare. It diverts surplus food from manufacturers, suppliers and supermarkets, that would otherwise go to landfill, and distributes it to charities and community groups in deprived areas.
Recycling Lives uses commercial contracts to support its various welfare programmes which address issues impacting marginalised people in our communities, including: homelessness, reoffending and food poverty. These programmes are all designed to support marginalised people into independent living through education, employment and security.
In 2015/16 these programmes returned more than £4m of tangible social value and changed countless lives.
The company recently announced it has also secured a waste contract with Speedy.