FST SMaRT (Socially Minded and Responsible Trading)
Vehicle Recycling Gets Off The Ground!
First Step Trust’s innovative car recycling scheme, is starting
to take shape.
Work is well under way at our new premises just off Eccles New Road in Salford and exciting plans are already in place for the proposed de-pollution site in the north west of Salford.
FST SMaRT (Socially Minded and Responsible Trading) will collect and recycle unwanted and abandoned vehicles whilst providing employment and training opportunities to people who are experiencing disadvantages in seeking employment. The training will range from sales and administration, logistics, bodywork repair and refinishing, automotive repair and catering.
Our project, which is the first of its kind in Europe, will when fully operational process up to 10,000 abandoned cars per year, creating around 23 sustainable jobs and up to 200 workforce places.
SMaRT’s Lotteries funding of £500,000 alongside the one and a half million pound Government funding provided through the Chancellor’s Invest to Save Budget has been instrumental in getting the project up and running.
Keith Hill, Minister of State for Housing and Planning with special responsibility for dealing with the problem of abandoned vehicles underlined the importance of the scheme:
“Dealing with abandoned cars is a key element of the Government’s TOGETHER campaign to tackle anti-social behaviour and I am delighted that we can kick-start the SMaRT scheme with Invest To Save funding. This initiative is a perfect example of involving local people in projects which benefit their own environment and which help address the problems the long-term unemployed and socially disadvantaged can face in finding work.”
The SMaRT concept was conceived and developed by First Step Trust, however the support of the Trust’s partners has been vital, as Stuart Owen, FST’s Northern Regional Director explains:
“SMaRT has been developed over the past three years with extensive encouragement from the Co-Operative Bank; Salford Primary Care Trust; Bolton, Salford and Trafford Mental Health NHS Trust, regional secure commissioners and Precise Communications. Their help and guidance has been fundamental to SMaRT’s development. With this level of support we’ve been able to make our vision a reality.”
Local MP, the RT Hon Hazel Blears acknowledged FST SMaRT’s contribution to Salford saying:
“Unwanted and abandoned vehicles pose a substantial threat to the well being of the community. SMaRT has a real role to play in developing a safer and more pleasant community in Salford by removing and recycling end of life vehicles. It also has the added benefit of creating real employment and training for some of the most vulnerable people in my constituency.”
Commenting on the project, Robbie MacDuff, Director of Precise Communications stated, “We are absolutely delighted that FST has been able to get their project off the ground. Precise have thoroughly enjoyed working with the SMaRT team and are delighted to have been able to contribute to their fantastic achievement. We look forward to seeing the project in action and being part of First Step Trust’s continued success in the future.”
The project is being developed during a period when new European Directives around the safe disposal of End of Life vehicles are being implemented across Europe and the United Kingdom. During the next three years there will be increased pressure on waste producers to reduce the amount of landfill waste. SMaRT will be developed to meet the most stringent demands of the Directives and operate as an exemplary model of best practice.
Free vehicle collection service
FST SMaRT plans to work closely with the Greater Manchester Police and local authorities to collect abandoned vehicles and bring them to the site. However to minimize vandalism and public nuisance, there will also be collection of unwanted cars direct from the general public prior to their being abandoned.
A local advertising campaign promoting the free abandoned and end-of life car collection service has already proved to be successful:
“So far we’ve collected 45 vehicles in
two weeks as part of a pilot project. Obviously this number will increase
dramatically once the de-pollution site is up and running in the summer. The
trade counter will be ready at the end of March, but before that we will
be able to trial sell vehicle parts on the web, which will be an invaluable
experience for us.”
Mike Baldwin, SMaRT’s
Managing Director
If you have an unwanted vehicle in or around Salford that you would like removed then call FST SMaRT on 0161 743 0300 for more details of the free collection service.
Precise
Communications Press Release
Guardian
Article (30 March 2005)
Contacts:
Project Director - vacancy
Office Manager - Sonia Whittle