Upcycling the old into the new to help YPWD
Linda and Sharon are on a mission to use their upcycling skills to take unloved and unwanted items, and to breath new life into them and sell them to new owners. What they make they will donate to YPWD. We caught up with them both to find out more about this fantastic project.
Linda, what was the reason for wanting to raise funds for YPWD?
To give something back to the charity that supported my family. My mum was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s over ten years ago now. YPWD supported both my mum and dad at first diagnosis and then me when the care became harder for my dad. Some challenging times for us but YPWD stepped in when we needed them. I cannot thank them enough.
Sharon, what is the reason for focusing on upcycled equipment and furniture and why do you enjoy upcycling?
We're both passionate about the idea of bringing preloved items back to life and avoiding waste when so many of these things still have a purpose. Whether this is completely changing the look of something or just giving it a clean and some extra TLC. There are so many reasons why we enjoy it, the main ones are helping the environment and reducing landfill. The achievement of completing a project is a wonderful feeling. You have made something from nothing, something useful from ‘rubbish’. You want it to work out, so you put thought, effort, and love into the process, and you are constantly learning. What’s not to enjoy about upcycling!
Linda, what is the most ‘bizarre’ thing you have upcycled or plan to upcycle to date?
Probably a football! Worn leather, flat, in a deeply sorry state. I think you have a before and after shot. I wanted some type of sculpture for my garden, I love circles and spheres, so I covered a football with mod rock and stuck mosaic tiles and broken glass to it. It now has pride of place in my garden, glistening in both the sunshine and the rain.
Sharon, how can people purchase your upcycled products?
We are still in the very early days of setting ourselves up. There is an eBay page on the way. And we're glad to say that we have already made our first donation to YPWD. We’d love for everyone reading to follow us on facebook, we're called Alzh Place. Click HERE to go to the page. You'll be able to follow our progress and to check out our preloved items that are for sale.
Sharon, can anyone upcycle?
Absolutely, and it’s great fun! We have lots of books, games, clothes, and items to upcycle should any of you wish to have ago. Currently Linda has a couple of chairs that she’s happy to give over to anyone that fancies having a go at upcycling themselves. There's a photo of a reinvigorated chair and coat stand that I upcycled to show how great things can look. If you’re interested please email info@alzhplace.org and we can work out how to get the chairs to you.
Linda, are you accepting donations to be upcycled?
Yes, we also accept pre-loved, surplus to requirements, reusable items to resell and would love to continue to raise money for YPWD. Just drop us an email info@alzhplace.org to let us know what you'd like to donate.