Oxford Wood Recycling

We enjoyed a fantastic AGM on Tuesday evening at Coseners House. Reflecting on the last 12 months, Richard and the team spoke about the many successes we have achieved, including the growth of Wood to Work, our record breaking Collections Service, and the new Community engagement initiatives we have taken part in and launched. Looking ahead, we have a very bright future with new staff joining who add knowledge, experience and skills to help drive us toward our goals in our 20th year!

Work experience is a great way for young people to spend some time in a professional environment. It provides an understanding not only of how an organisation runs but how working life is different to school or college. It can also offer an insight into the type of career a students wishes to pursue! We regularly have students at Oxford Wood Recycling on work experience and have enjoyed hosting students from local schools and colleges recently. Martha joined us for a week in June and talks about her time at OWR. "I spent one week at Oxford Wood Recycling (OWR) as an intern for my end of Year 11 work experience placement. We learn about sustainability at school so I was keen to see the circular economy in action. I'd read the website and done a bit of research into their values, so I had a few expectations before starting. But truth be told, they were blown through the roof! I was warmly welcomed by all the team. During the five days, I worked on a bug hotel for Flofest in Oxford, I had the opportunity to discover and use specific wood working tools, and I even created a piece of artwork using wood off-cuts. One of my highlights was the time spent in the Wood Shop. It was brilliant talking to customers, helping organise the stock, and generally feeling like a member of OWR staff! By the end of the week I realised how many people OWR helps, and on a personal level, working in such a positive environment with such a kind team was a real boost to my confidence. In the future, I’d like to study Materials Science and Engineering. It’s an innovative research field where I can combine my love of chemistry and design. I'll be looking to find new materials to use in energy, building, medicine and more. But my work experience at OWR showed me how traditional materials can also contribute to a sustainable future. And in my lab, while I’ll have modern state-of-the-art equipment, there’s one thing I will miss - the unmistakable and beautiful smell of wood. A massive thank you to all the team." We love having students with us for work experience and look forward to welcoming more in the future.

Last week Cathrin had the pleasure of attending the Community Wood Recycling Regional meeting at Southampton Wood Recycling Project to meet with colleagues across the network. Working as part of the network is central to what we do, allowing us to work with national clients across Oxfordshire and beyond. We are therefore very proud that Community Wood Recycling has been named as Wood Recycling Business of the Year at the Awards for Excellence in Recycling and Waste Management. Congratulations to everyone across the network!

We were delighted to be there. It is so important to work together to deliver a circular economy.

We're #hiring a new Team Leader (Wood Shop) in Abingdon, England. Apply today or share this post with your network.

There is a great article about Wood to Work and OWR on p97. We would love to hear your thoughts 😀