Strange furry creatures spotted in Leeds city centre!
Ali Ward, Emmaus Leeds General Manager, and 3 Companions from Emmaus Leeds took to the city centre this week as part of a drive to promote furniture re-use and recycling.
Dressed as Wombles, the team handed out flyers and newsletters publicising the business side of Emmaus Leeds. Companions, people who have previously been homeless, work in the Community business of collecting, refurbishing and selling good quality used furniture.
Having spent several hours in a Womble suit giving out information about Emmaus Leeds, Ali Ward was in a good position to gauge local reaction. She said:"It was amazing the interest the Wombles costumes generated, especially from nostalgic adults who remembered the originals. They could even remember the individual Womble names. We gave out all our flyers and newsletters and people were genuinely amazed at how much Emmaus Leeds saves from going to landfill, whilst at the same time providing low cost furniture to people trying to set up home."
Why the Womble disguise?
The Wombles were created by author Elisabeth Beresford in the 1970s in the early years of the environmental movement. They lived on Wimbledon Common and helped the environment by picking up things that people had thrown away and putting them to good use.
The Furniture Re-use Network, is organising a 'Big Womble' event to raise the profile of its activities, culminating in a prize draw of items donated by supporters and celebrities on 20th February.
Furniture Re-use Network members, including many of the 17 Emmaus Communities, help 3/4 million households per year with affordable furniture, electrical items, computers, bicycles and household items. In doing so, they reuse 2.5 million items including 300,000 electrical items and over 200,000 computers. They estimate that this diverts 90,000 tonnes of waste from landfill.
More information
Chorion Rights Limited have given permission to the Furniture Re-use Network to use the Wombles brand.
Published on 19th February, 2009
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