Published on Wednesday 07 February 2024
A treasure trove of goodies at 'new to you'
An innovative reuse store which sells items discarded at recycling centres is celebrating after recording a bumper year.
The ‘new to you’ shop is owned and operated by Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council. The facility salvages items taken to Bournemouth and Poole’s recycling centres and resells them in its store in Cabot Lane, Poole.
In 2023, ‘new to you’ generated more than £103,000 in sales from both the shop and its online eBay store, and diverted items from going to landfill, with approximately 46 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill last year.
They also expanded their support for community groups, providing old wooden furniture to Canford Heath group Poole Men’s Shed, which offers a social space for volunteers to meet and work on practical projects, that in turn benefit the local community.
Items sold online include a Buben & Zorweg Watch Winder and Display Base going for £900 and £800 respectively, Marshall Celestion Speakers for £1,600, and a Rukka Motorcycle Jacket which was sold for £545.
‘new to you’ is run by a small team of staff and volunteers. Laura Neil, Commercial Waste Manager, BCP Council said:
“It has been a very successful and rewarding year for ‘new to you’.
“Throughout 2023 we consistently expanded our customer base while remaining dedicated to supporting local social support agencies, providing furniture and general household items whenever possible, including donating our unsold items to Julia's House Children's Hospice Charity shop in Poole.
“We also strengthened our position as a reputable retail outlet for reuse items, and I would like to thank our volunteers for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. Their commitment has been instrumental in making our achievements possible.”
The online eBay shop which was set up in 2017 has enabled ‘new to you’ to reach global audiences, with customers from as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, USA and China. It has also allowed them to set realistic prices for rare and expensive items that wouldn’t have been achievable just selling through the shop.
Councillor Andy Hadley, Portfolio Holder for Climate Response, Environment and Energy BCP Council said:
“This is a wonderful achievement for ‘new to you’ and I’d like to thank the whole team involved in making this small reuse shop such a success.
“new to you is great example of a council-run project benefitting the wider community, with the money raised, over and above the running costs, going to worthwhile council services for local people in need, in addition to helping local charities and community groups.
“‘The shop also reduces our waste disposal costs with the items being diverted from landfill, improving the environmental impact of the scheme as a bonus.”
Rob Kingman of Poole Men’s Shed said:
“We make and repair items mainly from wood using timber that has been recovered in the shop. This keeps us busy on Wednesdays when we meet up. We’re happy to welcome new members to Poole Men’s Shed, and our regular visits to ‘new to you’ ensure we always find new things to work on.”
‘new to you’ is open most Saturday mornings from 9-1pm. Unwanted items that are suitable for reuse in the shop or online can be donated to Bournemouth or Poole’s recycling centres.
For more information, please visit the 'new to you' webpage or follow them on Facebook.
More information on Poole Men’s Shed can be found here.