Resale Shed re-opens for recycled materials

ANGLESEA’S Resale Shed on Coalmine Road prevents 150 tonnes of reusable materials from going into landfill each year.

Hopefully now it is back open for good, after a highly sporadic 2021 year which has seen the community-run initiative closed for more days than it has been open.

The Anglesea Resale Shed, a project of the Anglesea Community House (ACH) in partnership with the Surf Coast Shire and local community groups, is back open after being closed for most of 2020 and for large parts of 2021 as a result of the pandemic.

Plenty of Christmas goods are on offer at the Shed as December quickly approaches.

Sale profits, which have totalled $200,000 over the last decade, from purchases made at the Resale Shed are gathered every three months and then divided equally amongst local volunteer groups, who donate their time to running the Resale Shed.

The money is then diverted to locally managed initiatives run by those groups.

“Volunteers are excited and of course we are happy to be open more from now on,” committee member Julie Martin said.

“At the moment we have 20 community groups signed on with the shed and for this three-month quarter, because so many groups have missed out on fundraising, I have managed to have every group running the shed every Saturday and every second Sunday from 10am until 2pm.

“It really shows how important the shed is and how committed these groups are to keeping this win-win-win initiative going.”

With the Shed re-opened, there are plenty of discounted goods for almost everything you could need.

Jim Tutt, another member of the shed’s committee, said the original intent behind starting the Resale Shed was to provide community groups with a project that had value and worth to all of Anglesea.

“Us reopening the shed now, we are now providing these groups with the necessary funds for them to pursue their own endeavours and improve our town, which is great,” Mr Tutt said.

“The numerous lockdowns have meant that a large number of materials have gone into landfill which is a regret, but now we are trying to make up for lost time.”

Mr Tutt started the shed back in 2012 when he was a councillor for the Surf Coast Shire meaning that the project is a very personal one for the former politician, after gaining funding support from the local Bendigo Bank and the local opportunity shop.

Other committee members that keep the Shed running on Monday, Tuesday, Fridays, Saturdays and every second Sunday from 10am to 2pm include Annette Dwyer and Dorreen Titter.

Head to anglesea.org.au for more information.