Wolverhampton Wood Recycling (WWR) has moved to a larger space on Webner Industrial Estate, and with it, their ambitions have grown - because why just recycle wood when you can also recycle human spirits? The social enterprise, which turns waste wood into benches, bin stores, planters, and other delights, now plans to expand its community outreach with a Repair Café and a Men's Shed, because nothing says 'we care' like fixing your toaster and whittling in a shed.

Jim Brennan, who co-founded the venture with Eimert De Graff and a plucky band of nine volunteers at the end of last year, explained: "We want this to be a place where people can come along, learn, share their skills, meet others and feel that they belong." Because what better way to belong than bonding over reclaimed wood?

The move allows WWR to take on more wood - a phrase that sounds dirtier than intended - and welcome more people, including those who might be lonely, retired, or living with health conditions that make paid employment a distant dream. Take Gordon, a skilled wood machinist who volunteered from the start: "I never expected it to become such an important part of my week. You meet people, you have a laugh, you learn things and feel like you're contributing." It's almost as if volunteering is good for the soul, who knew?

De Graff is equally enthusiastic about the Repair Café and Men's Shed, noting that "there are so many people in our communities who have incredible practical skills and experience but don't always have somewhere to use them." So WWR is providing that somewhere, one recycled plank at a time.

Visitors can expect a wider selection of reclaimed wood and upcycled goods, because nothing says 'new lease on life' like a bench made from someone else's demolition debris. The organisation works with businesses and construction companies to collect, sort, and recycle their wood waste, proving that one person's trash is another person's garden planter.

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