2020 - 2021
IRD DUHALLOW | PROGRESS REPORT
Duhallow Furniture Revamp Duhallow Revamp has been in operation since 2016 with the assistance of Community Service Programme funding for staffing requirements. We also have participants from Tus and CE as Revamp is an ideal location to develop new skills in advance of returning to mainstream employment.
COVID-19 Response In compliance with Government guidelines Duhallow Revamp operated a “Click and Deliver” or “Collect” service. During the Level 5 restriction period, REVAMP acquired and carried out essential work to furniture and mobility equipment for the local Community Hospitals and Nursing Homes. Revamp also manufactured bespoke design art class benches for a local secondary school. Protective Perspex screens were made for one of the active retired groups to facilitate their Bridge games. The Revamp facemasks are also still available for purchase.
A before and after picture of an antique dressing table repaired by our Revamp team.
The Social Enterprise has over 3700 customers to date. Revamp provides a range of in-demand services to the community and strives to promote the re-use of unwanted high quality low cost household furniture. The core philosophy is simple: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Revamp collect furniture and household goods that are suitable for re-use and carry out repairs and refurbishment work in the workshop, with steam cleaning and basic repair work adding value and usefulness to the many items that would otherwise be disposed of. The furniture is then made available for sale in the showroom located on the grounds of the James O’Keeffe Institute, Newmarket and open Monday to Friday 9am to 5.30pm. In addition to the wide offering of good quality second-hand furniture for sale, Duhallow Revamp provides a furniture re-upholstery, restoration and repair service as well as a collection and delivery service. A discount is also made available in an effort to further assist and entice those in receipt of social welfare, low-income households and students.
Community Reuse Network (CRNI)
As a Social Enterprise we made bespoke art desks for the Presentation Secondary School in Tralee. This was one of the steps taken by the school as part of their COVID response plan.
Full time staff member Jessica Baron sewing Revamp facemasks.
Duhallow Revamp is an active member of the Community Reuse Network of Ireland. With the assistance of the CRNI Duhallow Revamp was the first enterprise in the country to be awarded the Re-mark, Ireland’s Reuse Quality Mark of Excellence. The Re-Mark was established by the CRNI, through the EPA Green Enterprise funding, to address consumers’ concerns regarding the quality and safety of reuse goods. Membership of the CRNI has allowed the project to network with like-minded A mobility chair reupholstered by our professionals and connect to the Revamp team for Millstreet Community national reuse conversation. The Hospital. This project saved the message of reuse for social and Community Hospital thousands of Euro. environmental benefit is being heard. Linkages with the CRNI has provided meaningful connections and has helped the REVAMP to develop strong shared social responsibility and circular economy strategies that result in lower waste, lighter carbon footprints and tangible contributions to the community by simply extending the life of their furniture. The result is vastly more usable household goods ending up in homes that need it and not in landfill.
Maria Burke, Tús participant packaging Revamp masks. Early in the pandemic Revamp stepped forward to produce much needed face masks for our local Community Hospitals and Nursing Homes. We provided almost 600 masks for staff in these local care facilities
Environmental goals and bulky goods management With over 175 tons of furniture diverted from landfills to date, Duhallow Revamp is actively participating in a greener local environment. One of the principal aims of Duhallow Revamp is to repair furniture items with as little waste as possible. There is a strict adherence to using a minimum of 90% reuse goods and materials in the overall operations and to date, the average is less than 5% of new materials. Over 160 tons of the furniture handled by Revamp has been redistributed back into the community through sales and refurbishment, thereby contributing to a reduction in ‘greenhouse’ gas emissions and fly tipping. The provision of a free collection service offers a great incentive to all individuals in the community to play their part in creating a cleaner local environment. Repair Heroes In October 2020, IRD Duhallow Furniture Revamp was chosen as one of two social enterprises to represent Ireland in Europe, and was given the stage as part of International Repair Day. Coordinated by the Right to Repair movement and the European RE-USE network, the campaign saw Duhallow Revamp participate in a series of short videos about “heroes” from across Europe to highlight their contribution to the repair movement. These videos were broadcast all across the EU through social media channels and platforms.
Minister Joe O’Brien met with some of the IRD Duhallow Staff at Revamp: Colm O’Connor, Jessica Baron, Niall Burke and Triona Dennehy Employment.
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