Grant puts gloss on paint recycling enterprise

Grant puts gloss on paint recycling enterprise

5 hours ago

John Devinein March

John Devine/BBC A woman with long blonde hair is smiling at the camera. She is wearing a white lab coat. Behind her are stacks of paint tubs – some of them on shelves.John Devine/BBC
Nikki Digiovanni said rising prices on the High Street were forcing people to shop differently

A social enterprise that helps people decorate their homes with recycled paint, repurposed furniture and recycled materials has been awarded a £400,000 National Lottery grant to help it expand its services.

Development director Nikki Digiovanni said the grant was a "game changer" for Remo, based in March, Cambridgeshire, which was set up about 20 years ago.

"The funding will allow me to employ more staff [and] it will mean we can be open seven days a week," Digiovanni said.

The money will be released to Remo over five years.

John Devine/BBC A warehouse full of tins of paint – some in used containers and some in clean tubs.John Devine/BBC
Used paint is recycled and can be bought at a fraction of the cost of new pots

Digiovanni lived in temporary housing when she was younger and she was not allowed to decorate her property, but when she moved to a permanent address she was eager to get a paintbrush out.

"The paint, even then, was so expensive," she said. "I had to get an extra Saturday job to be able to afford to freshen up my home."

That was the catalyst for the paint recycling enterprise and helping to make it more affordable for people.

John Devine/BBC The outside of a light blue building with cladding metal cladding and two apex roofs. The sign above the door reads "Reno".John Devine/BBC
The facility includes a woodwork shop, a pottery studio and a digital lounge

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