Group goes global to find use for unwanted goods
ACOMMUNITY group that provides much-needed goods to those in need locally and around the world is celebrating its seventh anniversary.
Founded in October 2015 by Michael Bamford, 70, Reuse Littleborough, has grown from filling a 40ft container to send to children in need in Tanzania into a fully-operational hub and charity shop run out of the former Royal Oak pub.
Michael founded the group along with wife Ann, who died of cancer in May, after the pair had travelled all over the world and seen the effect of poverty.
The group provides an alternative to throwing away household items, clothes, and toys which are then donated to those that need them most.
“The amount of waste world in places including India, Thailand, Malaysia, China and Australia.
He added that the poverty in India ‘could make you cry.’
Initially the group was started with the sole purpose of filling a 40ft container of items to be sent to Forever Angels baby home in Tanzania, but quickly morphed into something much bigger and is now the fifth year of its lease at the former Royal Oak pub.
Michael said: “We had some very small beginnings, we started with a very small drop off place.
“We got a house off RBH which we used to pack the boxes and we sent it on its way to Tanzania.
“Then we decided we would collect for another container but we’d start selling things and raising money for the cost of the transport.
“It was after the second container, when I came back from Africa I saw the old Royal Oak pub was up for let.”
Michael added that Reuse now also has a dedicated resource centre for support and care workers and has raised £1,000 for this year’s Little ‘Pink’ Borough cancer campaign.
He also said he hopes to establish Reuse Littleborough as the community’s first port of call for both donors and people in need.
“We decided we’d done plenty for babies and children in Tanzania and we knew there were lots of needy families in this country that needed support as well,” said Michael.
“We spent the last four years helping charities who have little or no funding whatsoever. We’ve supported lots of things over the years, including the Ukrainian appeal.
“It’s not just a charity shop, it’s so much more. It’s important that when donations come in we do the best we can with them.”