Former showhome shows Leith residents the value of second-hand items

Former showhome shows Leith residents the value of second-hand items

Quay Community Initiatives, along with Changeworks, has transformed a former Barratt show flat in Lochend using second-hand furniture and soft furnishings as part of the Zero Waste Leith project.

Quay Community Improvements, a community interest company owned by Port of Leith Housing Association, co-hosted an event, which invited members of the local community to visit the showhome during the first weekend of the Leith Festival to see for themselves just how attractive, affordable and environmentally-friendly second hand items can be.

Clare Halliday, business and community initiatives manager at Quay Community Improvements, said: “Quay is thrilled that so many people visited the showhome. It’s great to have been able to play our part in creating this opportunity both for reuse and repair organisations to generate business and for widening the appeal of second hand furniture.”

Quay Community Improvements and Changeworks partnered with a number of local reuse organisations who provided the furniture and furnishings for the showhome.

Former showhome shows Leith residents the value of second-hand items

These included Edinburgh Remakery, Edinburgh Tool Library, Upcycled World, Bethany Christian Trust, Up-It DIY project at Inspiring Leith, Edinburgh Furniture Initiative / Four Square and Fresh Start.

As well as large items of furniture, the showhome featured creative works from local upcycling artists, such as Vivienne Kelly, a taxidermist who uses art to connect the city with its relationship with urban animals, and Martina Salvi, a design student at Napier University who had an important message to tell through her work about marine micro-plastics.

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