Reclaimed Wood Workshop Assistant

Touch Wood is a wood recycling and upcycling initiative, which collects surplus and good quality waste wood and gives it a new lease of life; saving it from pollution-generating landfill or incineration.

Whether you’re a student or recent college graduate seeking experience, a jobseeker interested in a career in construction or woodwork, or just someone with spare time on your hands, wanting to do something positive and meet new people, volunteering with the Touch Wood project at EMERGE 3Rs may be just the ticket!

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Preparing wood for resale
• Assisting with the construction of wooden products, from small household items to pieces of furniture

Our Touch Wood volunteers are able to gain skills in practical woodworking, as we offer hands-on experience of working with reclaimed timber; from making basic timber products ready for resale, through to assisting with the creation of bespoke items, such as kitchen equipment and home and garden furniture.

Benefits and Perks

• Career and CV advice and support
• Practical experience to strengthen your CV, if you are job-seeking
• A reference for future employers
• Reimbursement of travel and lunch expenses 
• The opportunity to give practical help to fight food poverty and reduce food waste (and associated CO2 emissions)
• The opportunity to meet like-minded people and make new friends

Skills Required

• Fair level of physical fitness and manual dexterity*
• Ability to follow procedures and instructions
• Reliability and ability to commit to pre-agreed volunteer shifts
• Good verbal communication skills
• High respect for Health and Safety procedures and standards
• An interest in the work of Touch Wood and EMERGE 3Rs and our sustainability values

Full training in woodworking and health and safety is provided, along with Personal Protection Equipment.

ABOUT TOUCH WOOD

The UK generates around 5 million tonnes of wood waste every year, but less than 1% is reused. Touch Wood rescues waste timber that would otherwise be landfilled or turned into woodchip; creating jobs and training opportunities for local people at the same time.

We collect from construction sites, industrial estates and other commercial sources; reclaiming everything from pallets to indoor cycle tracks – you name it, we take it!

Anything we can’t reuse is locally recycled, so nothing goes to waste. This reduces the carbon emissions associated with disposing of waste wood, offers cost savings for DIY enthusiasts, and provides training and job potential to volunteers in the workshop.

Some of the timber we work with comes from high profile sources, including the entire track of the Manchester Velodrome cycling centre and wood removed in the recent refurbishment of Manchester’s historic Town Hall!

Our skilled team of staff and volunteers often use reclaimed timber to create beautiful and practical products, such as home and garden furniture. We regularly create bespoke pieces to order; some of it for famous clients like Olympic cycling champions Jason and Laura Kenny, for whom we made a table from the Manchester Velodrome track.

We welcome volunteers who can reliably commit to a minimum 4 hour shift, one day a week. The days and rota hours of volunteering are agreed around your availability.

* Please be advised that our volunteers require a fair level of physical fitness and manual dexterity as the role is entirely practical and involves working with tools.

OUR LOCATION

Our Touch Wood workshop is located in a unit at Maynard House, inside New Smithfield Market, in Openshaw, North Manchester, which is accessed from the market's main entrance on Whitworth Street East (off Ashton Old Road).

(For the precise location of our base, please see the Google Maps link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/SzNiPkmhW7NRkZet6).

The depot is well served by public transport, with the 219 bus running regularly along the nearby Ashton Old Road.
We also have free car parking on site and secure racks on our premises for cycles and eBikes.

IMPORTANT NOTE: At busy times, due to high demand on staff, there may be a delay in responding to applications, but please be assured that if you apply for one of our roles, we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Please bear with us. We receive and answer all applications.

If you would like an informal chat with our Volunteering team about this role, or just need a bit more information, you can call 0161 223 8200 (followed by option 6) or email [email protected]