Touch Wood is a reclaimed timber project that saves waste wood from going to landfill or being incinerated, by processing it for resale or hand-crafting it into new items.
Working in partnership with the National Community Wood Recycling Project (NCWRP), Touch Wood’s operations are supplied from a variety of sources, such as construction sites and demolition projects. The initiative carries out a waste wood collection service in Manchester and this, in turn, supplies the raw materials for the workshop.
What opportunities are there for volunteers with Touch Wood?
Involvement with Touch Wood is suited to people who enjoy working with raw materials and is great for individuals with an interest in DIY, or who are looking for work in the timber business or the construction industry.
Volunteer Roles
The tasks in the Touch Wood workshop are practical and hands-on, and are carried out within a friendly team. Typically, our woodworkingvolunteers unload stock from vans, then de-nail and prepare the timberfor sale or for upcyclinginto new items.
Volunteers who have gained more experience and have shown that they have reached the required skill level may have the opportunity to progress to helping with the creation of new upcycled productsfor sale, such as furniture and small items, like chopping boards and storage racks. All work is carried out under the supervision of our experienced workshop manager.
The work can be physical, so a basic level of fitness is required. It also involves using a variety of tools and, if carrying out tasks that require fine detail, good coordination will be necessary.
Health and safety awareness training will be given to all volunteers, at induction and then on an ongoing basis. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is provided, as is on-the-job training.
You can download full descriptions of roles at Touch Wood by clicking here
Volunteer Roles
The tasks in the Touch Wood workshop are practical and hands-on, and are carried out within a friendly team. Typically, our woodworkingvolunteers unload stock from vans, then de-nail and prepare the timberfor sale or for upcyclinginto new items.
Volunteers who have gained more experience and have shown that they have reached the required skill level may have the opportunity to progress to helping with the creation of new upcycled productsfor sale, such as furniture and small items, like chopping boards and storage racks. All work is carried out under the supervision of our experienced workshop manager.
The work can be physical, so a basic level of fitness is required. It also involves using a variety of tools and, if carrying out tasks that require fine detail, good coordination will be necessary.
Health and safety awareness training will be given to all volunteers, at induction and then on an ongoing basis. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) is provided, as is on-the-job training.
You can download full descriptions of roles at Touch Wood by clicking here
How do I sign up?
Ready to volunteer? Signing up is quick and easy. Just click on the REGISTER button below to be taken to our simple form.
If you prefer, or if you need more information that’s not covered in our FAQ section, you can call us instead and speak to Liz, our Volunteering Manager. Our number is 0161 223 8200 (Option 6). You can also email us: volunteering@emergemanchester.co.uk
Benefits of volunteering with Touch Wood
If you are looking for work, this is a valuable starting point for demonstrating recent experience and training. It’s also a great way of progressing to certification such CSCS (Construction Skills and Certification Scheme). It’s also suited to people with an interest in recycling and who want the satisfaction of working with a natural material to create products that people will gain a lot of pleasure from for many years.
The Touch Wood team are friendly and always willing to help and support each other as they learn together.
Equal opportunities
Touch Wood and its parent charity EMERGE 3Rs are fully committed to equal opportunities. We’re completely inclusive; welcoming everyone from all walks of life. We’re also very flexible and will do our best to include you, whether you’re actively retired, semi-retired, self-employed with spare time, parents, job-seekers, students, or anyone with spare time on their hands, we can usually find a role that suits the majority of people in all sorts of circumstances.
Expenses and PPE (safety) equipment
Expenses for lunch and travel will be reimbursed up to a set limit, and you will be provided with Personal Protection Equipment. For more details, click here.
Data protection
All personal information obtained in relation to our volunteers is treated in strictest confidence and protected in compliance with GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) legislation.
You can read our Privacy Policy here.
