Rekindling London CIC is a social enterprise which supports the rehabilitation of offenders by turning wood destined for landfill into user friendly firewood for commercial sale. This venture also aims to contribute to the reduction in unemployment by supporting those most in need, such as people on work placements sent from the Job Centre and ex-offenders struggling to gain employment and useful
skills. By offering employable skills and qualifications, this will help reduce reoffending and enhance employability. Rekindling London CIC provides employment opportunities in various aspects of the company, ranging from Community Payback supervisors to administration and managerial positions. The company’s activities will also benefit small and large scale producers of fire wood, fire wood users and the environment as a whole. Recycling wood for energy and social good:
There is an opportunity for the industry to manage the woodland, sustain a natural habitat for wildlife and produce energy in a completely neutral manner. Instead of reusable wood ending up in landfill at a cost to British businesses, we add value and provide an eco-friendly, carbon neutral, toxin free energy source to businesses and homes. Rekindling London CIC collects soft wood such as pallets and a variety of hard wood, for example logs and branches from tree surgeons – a collection service for which local businesses would normally have to pay. This saves them time in disposing of all unwanted wood. Kindling and firewood is produced from recycled wood and is sold to the boating community on London’s canals and domestic users of wood burners. We aim to target biomass sites, service stations, festivals, campsites and the restaurant and barbeque market. Using recycled wood which avoids the current high cost of harvesting unmanaged woodland also means our variable costs are lower than competitors in this industry. Rekindling London CIC will enhance the community’s understanding and importance of using eco-friendly energy sources. Overall, the wider community will benefit from the environment in the purchase of locally sourced city recycled wood. Rehabilitating offenders and providing employable and transferable skills:
Rekindling London CIC manages offenders on Community Payback (a court mandated requirement undertaking between 40 to 300 hours of community service). Offenders are trained in wood recycling, carpentry, manufacturing of fire wood, kindling and eventually biomass pellets. As a result, they gain employable and transferable skills, are able to achieve accredited qualifications in the near future and receive mentoring that could help reduce their cycle of reoffending and allow for a safer community. Additionally, once offenders complete their community service hours and are willing and encouraged to change their lives around for the better, they have a unique opportunity in being trained and subsequently employed as Community Payback supervisors in the company. They would be in an ideal position to make a difference through mentoring and help rehabilitate other offenders in similar situations. Recruitment:
The income from firewood sales pays for the recruitment of staff. We provide opportunities to ex-offenders, volunteers and individuals on work placements to gain experience and useful skills that can help achieve employment, potentially within the company or further their career. The direct supply of a toxin free renewable energy supply on a local level gives individuals the prospect to gain work experience, qualifications and possible apprenticeships in a growing sector.
