Meet the Reuse Network Award winners

Each year, the Reuse Network Awards aim to recognise, celebrate and motivate performance within our sector and among our members. This year’s awards were sponsored by eBay and we were excited to welcome Emma Botham and Hannah Richards from the eBay team to present the awards.

Innovative Project of the Year

We could not let this conference pass without acknowledging and celebrating the innovative work of our members. This was a brand-new award created this year to celebrate how our members continued to support local communities through unprecedented times.

The award was won by The Benjamin Foundation for its work creating the UK’s first reuse drive through and drop-off centre, making reuse more accessible and convenient than ever.

Opened in June 2022, this original project already making an impact, and the charity have received countless donations which have made their way to new homes across the local community.

Congratulations to the whole team at The Benjamin Foundation!

Reuse Organisation of the Year 

Decided on by a public vote, each year this award goes to a reuse charity or social enterprise who has made a great achievement in the past year.

This year the award was won by The Furniture Revival (Groundwork Caerphilly) which is an established skills and experience based organisation, diverting waste from landfill to repurpose for families in need. Based in Rhymney, one of the most economically and health deprived areas of the UK, the charity serves communities in South Wales, providing accessible, affordable furniture to households across the region.

The Furniture Revival has helped families with nothing, turn houses into homes, whilst fulfilling environmental aspirations also. The social enterprise is a vital hub to its community, providing significant hope, in seriously difficult times.

A fantastic achievement and very much deserved!

Volunteer of the Year 

This year we asked Reuse Network members to nominate a volunteer who has shown the most improvement and gone above and beyond in their organisation. As always, we received some truly inspiring applications and we were honoured to have been able to read the stories of so many amazing volunteers working with our members.

Our winner this year is Derick Walker, nominated by Frade. Derick took a positive step away from his alcohol addiction and decided to throw himself into charity work. He committed to volunteering 5 days per week at Frade Stockton as a Volunteer Sales Assistant.

Derick is now aged 78 and he has no plans of slowing down! He is completely dedicated to Frade charity, and he will freely admit that he has Frade running through his blood.

Huge congratulations to Derick for this incredible achievement and well done to each of the shortlisted nominees too!