Here at Crow Recycling we offer work experience for secondary school aged pupils. Pupils can get a taste what's involved in collecting and processing materials for recycling such as office waste paper and drinks cans. They can find out what it's like to run a Scrapstore selling waste materials as art and craft supplies. They can also learn about the day to day running of an office as well as find out about the ins and outs of promoting a small organisation. Crow Recycling offers work experience to both mainstream and special needs pupils. Several Coventry schools and colleges already send pupils including the Corley Centre. For more information contact Crow Recycling on 024 7655 24444.

Coventry based artist  Val Hunt takes a fresh look at things people throw away when creating these artworks in her Coventry studio. They are created from throwaways such as drinks cans and plastic bottles. She  also volunteers as one of the trustees who keep Crow Recycling up and running.

Work experience is fantastic for life skills, making career decisions and improving employability. But teachers and lecturers in Coventry and Warwickshire working with special needs pupils and students sometimes struggle to find enough work experience placements. Crow Recycling has 33 years of experience offering work experience to pupils from local specials schools as well college students with disabilities. People on placement often have learning difficulties or autism. They help sort and shred paper collected as part of Crow’s commercial office waste paper and confidential shredding service. They also help sort and process aluminium cans ready for recycling and help with data inputting. Crow Recycling has some advice for organisations considering offering placements to special needs pupils and students. Special schools and colleges serving students with disabilities all have staff members responsible for work experience who will be able to discuss a possible placement. The pupil or student will visit before the placement begins with a school or college staff member. The visit is chance to make sure there is a good fit between the work experience candidate and the tasks they will be doing. It’s also chance to sort out any practical issues such as access to the building. Once the placement has begun the pupil or student will need a nominated staff member to be on hand to answer questions and act as mentor. That staff member will need to do their own job and be available to help the work experience person. Before the placement begins find out how much support the school or college will offer the young person. Some will send a teaching assistant for the first day or day and a half. Some have staff members with the young person [...]

Crow Recycling’s treasure trove of bargain arts and crafts materials has a new development worker. Lauren Dunn is the newly appointed Scrapstore development worker at the Crow Recycling Scrapstore in Coventry. The 29-year-old, who is studying art at Coventry University alongside working at the Scrapstore, is encouraging artists, parents, school staff and students to visit and be inspired by the massive range of resources. The Scrapstore is at Crow Recycling’s base in Sparkbrook Street, Hillfields, Coventry taking up two upstairs rooms and part of the main warehouse building. To shop at the Scrapstore people must pay a £10 membership fee.

Monday May 28 closed Tuesday May 29 closed Wednesday May 30 open 9am to 4pm Thursday May 31 open 9am to 4pm Friday June 1 open 9am to 1pm. Last entry to the Scrapstore is one hour before Crow closes.

There is shiny and coloured paper and there are baubles, glittery ribbons, bows and much more at the Crow scrap store. So if you're in charge of children who can't wait to make Christmas sparkle with their home made decorations consider a visit the scrap store. Membership costs £10 a year for individuals, groups or organisations. Members can browse through a huge hoard of craft materials donated by local businesses for reuse. Everything is individually priced and nothing too expensive. The Scrap store is open Monday to Thursday 9.30am to 3pm and Fridays 9.30am to 12 noon. Find the scrap store at Crow Recycling, Orchard House, Sparkbrook Street, Hillfields, Coventry, CV1 5LB. The telephone number is 0247655 2444. The e mail is crow@talktalkbusiness.net.

There was a double celebration for Crow Recycling volunteer John Gatter. He celebrated a 70th birthday as well as 25 years of volunteering at the Coventry charity. John thought he was stopping work for an ordinary mid morning break but instead found himself guest of honour at a surprise party. Friends and relatives joined staff and volunteers for the party at the charity's base in Sparkbrook Street, Hillfields. John Gatter is one of a team of volunteers who sort and shred unwanted office paper. Much of the paper John recycles becomes comfy beddding for retired racing greyhounds. Many of the volunteers including John have a disability. The charity exists to provide placements for people with disabilities.