Our story
Community Wood Recycling has developed into the country’s leading social and environmental social enterprise network
How it started
Founder Richard Mehmed first realised the potential of waste wood in 1998 when building a playhouse for his daughter. He spotted some plywood outside a local factory, and when he asked if he could take a couple of them for his playhouse he was shocked to find the pile was just a fraction of the perfectly reusable wood waiting to be landfilled. Saddened by the waste, Richard came up with a plan to divert wood out of the waste stream, and the social enterprise Brighton and Hove Wood Recycling Project was born.
Since then
Thanks to the success of the Brighton project, funding was secured to franchise the model elsewhere and the National Community Wood Recycling Project was founded in 2003. The National Builders Collection Scheme was set up to market the service to building companies in 2010, allowing the NCWRP to become self-funding and offer support to enterprises without the need for grants or fundraising. There are currently 24 enterprises operating across the country, collectively forming Community Wood Recycling and collecting around 20,000 tonnes of wood every year.
Our wood recycling network creates sustainable jobs
The work we do creates jobs, training and volunteering opportunities for local people, particularly those who might find it difficult to get into or back to employment or who have been excluded from the workforce. We work with former offenders, those with mental health problems, people in recovery from addiction and young people who have never had a job.
We are committed to the re-use of waste timber
We believe that there is a better alternative than the chipper for the 4.5 million tonnes of waste wood the country creates every year. By sorting the timber for reuse we are working with commercial partners and local communities to build a circular economy.
Our Journey
Annual Reports
Our annual reports contain information about accolades, media coverage, and social and environmental outcomes, as well as the changing challenges and successes of the Community Wood Recycling business model over the year.
Newsletter
We release a monthly newsletter with our highlights from around the network, as well as articles that may be of interest to our customers.
May 2025
Untapped Potential: Addressing Employment Challenges for Autistic People. Autistic people are being shut out of work, but accommodating this talent pool brings benefits not just to the individual but businesses and society. We also look at Reseiclo, Community Wood Recycling's South Wales enterprise, and their sister enterprise, Reseiclo Training, which provides day services for adults with a range of conditions including autism.
April 2025
Guide to the Procurement Act 2023. This issue explores how the Act, coming into effect soon, might affect both small social businesses like ours as well as larger suppliers like the construction companies we work with. We also look at how The Wood Shack and JERICHO are transforming the lives of young people and victims of modern slavery in Birmingham.
March 2025
The Joys and Challenges of Working with Reclaimed Wood. Working with reclaimed wood takes care and creativity but yields great results, much like working with a diverse range of people. We hear from some of our woodworkers about what reclaimed wood means to them, and also learn about fun days out at the Aldingbourne Country Centre, home of Wood@Aldingbourne.
Other Publications
A Process CIC report commissioned by Community Wood Recycling to investigate the availability and adequacy of mental health provision in the construction industry.
