A BLACKBURN based social enterprise is appealing for donations of scrap material which it will offer back to the community as arts and crafts materials

Scrap Art Material Store, a not-for-profit organisation based on Newfield Drive, Highercroft, collects materials from local businesses that they view as waste and then offers it up to community group to turn it into all kinds of art works such as sculptures and collages.

However, the organisation is now appealing for help with the pandemic having made collections more difficult.

Joanne Mason, who helps run the group, said: "We collect perceived waste from local business and offer it back to the community as art and craft resources.

"We are a bit like a Blue Peter warehouse filled with offcuts and rollends!

She added: "Since the Covid pandemic began, we have found donations of interesting scrap materials harder to source, so we're hoping to attract more local businesses to donate their reusable waste to us."

SAMS, as it is known, collects the kind of non-toxic surplus material that would normally end up in a landfill site.

According to Ms Mason, industries across the country throw away tonnes of wast each day, while schools, nurseries and other community groups also need tonnes of material for their play and creative activities.

Therefore it makes sense to address both of these needs simultaneously.

As such, once SAMS collects these materials it then sorts them and displays them in its Newfield Drive premises, which are open to members including schools, playgroups, community organisations, amateur dramatic groups and nurseries.

This way, the group says, companies, the community in Blackburn and the environment all benefit.

The pandemic has been hard for all kinds of community groups and businesses, with SAMS having been no exception, especially given the dramatic decrease in industrial activity and heighened concerns about infections having hit donations.

However, Ms Mason hopes that with restrictions easing and normal life resuming donation will soon start flowing in as they were before.

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