Take-A-Pew
Take-A-Pew is a unique church pew recycling service based in Herefordshire. If you represent a church looking to dispose of redundant pews, we can help you, and raise some cash too. If you are looking for a unique piece of antique furniture, adapted to fit your home, we have many styles to offer you, each one a little bit of history!
The Take-A-Pew scheme was established as a Partnership between The Diocese of Herefordshire Churches, Herefordshire Council Social Services, and EnviroAbility which manages and facilitates the scheme.
The workforce includes adults from disadvantaged groups and people with disabilities who are trained and competent in the skills required to process pews.
The basis of the Partnership is that of mutual benefit for the three parties based on:
- Work experience and paid work activities for people with learning difficulties and skilled support for these service users,
- The donor Church receiving a fair financial return for their pews, and benefiting from the work carried out on their behalf by the other partners,
- The Take-A-Pew scheme itself receiving a fair financial return for their involvement: all EnviroAbility revenues from the scheme are used for this and other projects allowing us to help more disadvantaged groups.
Income and expenditure are accounted for on a church-by-church basis, with the proceeds of sale shared equally between the donor church and Take-A-Pew, after costs have been met.
In this way, everyone is a winner, churches receive a good income, disadvantaged groups and people with a learning disability are given worthwhile, rewarding and enjoyable work and activity in refurbishing the pews and EnviroAbility is able to maintain the scheme and pursue it's charitable objectives.
An article published in The Ross Gazette on 6th March 2019
The Wheelie Sailors Talking
Harvey takes the steering wheel during his recent sailing trip
HARVEY Sayce and Daniel Bailey, along with Beverly Humble and Gail Sayce, who are all members of Leisure Link, a project organised through EnviroAbility which brings people with leaning difficulties together with other members of the community, are keen to spread the message about the benefits of sailing.
They recently gave a talk about their five day sailing trip on The Tenacious from Dartmouth, to the busy port of Portsmouth, last year. Their journey along the Jurassic Coast was described as the ‘experience of a lifetime’.
Sam - Facilitator of Leisure Link said: “The talk was well attended with over 45 members of the public coming to listen to the crew’s stories about sailing The Tenacious.”
Peter and Joan Martin of Firebird.com filmed and edited the talk. If any groups would like to borrow the video, you would be more than welcome, just contact EnviroAbility.
Sam said: “Although he talked about it, it was really interesting to see Harvey swinging in the wind while being hoisted up into the Crows nest. Listening to all four members of the group that gave the talk, it was nice to see all four had positive gains to their confidence, not only from going on the sailing trip, but also having the confidence to speak in front of the audience.”
That evening they found out that a larger group is embarking on another sailing trip from Poole, England to Rouen, France in the summer.
If anyone stimulated by this action and is looking to get involved in Leisure Link, visit enviroability.org/leisure-link or for information about other community projects visit enviroability.org or call the team on 01989 763388
For more about the sailing trip made by Harvey, Daniel, Beverly and Gail please see the article Leisure Link Push The Boat Out
