Plans to bring a scrap store to Hastings gain momentum

Would a scrap store be a useful resource for Hastings? The town has had them before and now moves are afoot to start another one. A public meeting on Thursday 23 October will test the waters. Nick Terdre reports.

Mosaic Em, the moving spirit behind Mosaic Malarkey, thinks so. Back in the summer, she posted a request on Hastings Creatives for some bits and bobs she needed, adding at the end of the post, “What this town needs is a scrap store”.

Scrap stores are community resources, filled with donated waste products waiting for crafters, schools or community groups with imagination to take and reuse them. There have been scrap store projects in the past in Hastings, but the last closed several years ago. However, the need hasn’t gone away.

“Mosaic Malarky is all about using a range of resources to create artworks and community projects and a scrap store would be super supportive of this!” Em tells HOT.

“It’s something I’ve been musing about for a while and when Shelley from the Hastings Library of Things agreed that a scrap store was a good idea it became apparent that we could come together and create one!”

Em – who has published a mission statement for a scrap store on her website – and Shelley started thinking how to turn the vision into a reality. A visit to Eastbourne Scrap Store helped focus their minds, and they realised they needed a group of people to make it happen. “They were very open and helpful,” says Shelley.

“The main take-away was a need to have a solid finance plan to cover costs (rent/ insurance etc), and not to feel uncomfortable about setting fees if you want to be sustainable in the long term.

“They also do a lot of cheap workshops using their scrap, which seems to provide an important social function.”

The pair approached Steve Manwaring at Hastings Voluntary Action, who knew a little of the past projects and agreed to host an open meeting to develop the idea. The meeting will be held on Thursday 23 October, 2-4pm, at Central Hall on Station Road.

“The hope from the meeting is to find a group of people with the time and energy to work on the project so once again Hastings can have a scrap store, but all are welcome,” says Shelley. “We’ve had a lot of interest so far, and are expecting a decent turnout.

“The question will be – is there an appetite for actually making it happen? Hopefully this is what the meeting will sort out.

“People who are interested but can’t attend can visit Em’s website for more information and a link to email.

“Umbrella Sussex, under which the Library of Things operates, are willing to support the scrap store to get off the ground, but we need to be realistic about taking on another project. We don’t have the space, and we don’t have enough money to get a space big enough for everything, nor do we have the energy to run another big project. So we need a team with the skills and enthusiasm to take it forward.

“My big hope/long-term aim is a Community Eco Hub which would encompass a scrap store, library of things, library of big things (events and infrastructure stuff), repair cafe, workshops and cafe/social space. Let’s face it, we are not short of ‘doers’ in the town, we are short of resources (money and space).”

Also in: Community