HCWP delivery team meet up in Ullapool
21 October 2024
The Highland Community Waste Partnership (HCWP) Delivery Team were in Ullapool last week for their quarterly in-person meetup, hosted by partner Lochbroom and Ullapool Community Trust (LUCT). With Project Officers spread out across different organisations and locations in the Highlands, these meetups are a chance to connect, collaborate, share learning and visit each others' communities and projects.
This trip included a visit to zero-waste shop Ullapool Unpacked, which has been one of the leading forces in packaging-free retail in the Highlands, and has given us a helpful insight into the challenges and rewards of operating this kind of business. The team picked up snacks and ingredients for dinner while they were there.
They also got a tour of the LUCT community shop, the New Broom, which reuses, restores and rehomes pre-loved items, to get an inside look into the shop's workings and wares. The shop has seen a 50% increase in donations as part of the HCWP.
Finally, they visited a couple of potential sites for community composting, a good opportunity to share knowledge and get advice from the Highland Good Food Partnership and Lochaber Environmental Group who have been leading on this work.
Clare Sterritt, Project Officer at Velocity Bicycle Workshop & Café, commented:
"I feel very lucky and grateful to have such wonderful colleagues. I always leave our gatherings feeling re-energised and motivated - thank you all!".
In addition to discussions around current activities and projects, the team also started thinking about end-of-project reporting, knowledge transfer and celebration events to close off three years of HCWP activity. There will be a more formal partnership discussion about this at our in-person meet-up on 7 November - so stay tuned!
To learn more about what the Highland Community Waste Partnership are up to, visit our website and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
