Hello! My name is Peter Hall and I’d like to introduce myself. I’m a local chap, married to my wife Elaine and living in Leigh-on-sea. I also wanted to tell you about ‘New Life Wood’ – an inspirational new charity for South Essex where we will be transforming and restoring lives in Southend, and beyond! You can read more about our plans below.
If you would like to find out more about how you can get involved and show your support for our charity, and help us really make a difference in the local community please get in touch. Be sure to check out our Facebook page too for regular updates.
Bless ya!
New Life Wood 07904 150180
Registered Charity Number: 1176061
New Life Wood is an inspirational new charity (charitable status received December 2017!) at the heart of the community in Southend, and across South Essex. Our mission is to take lives and goods that others would discard, and provide the means to see those lives and goods renewed and become a valued part of our community. We aim to do this by means of a wood regeneration and recycling initiative – recycling lumber, reducing landfill, and restoring lives. Our impact is life changing and helps protect our environment too.
We will be actively helping local people at a disadvantage who have been marginalised in the job market – including those with a past history of drug, alcohol, mental health issues and ex-offenders. We aim to transform lives by offering employment and volunteering opportunities and employment support within our organisation. 
As an organisation we wish to reflect our Christian ethos, and help to transform, restore and enrich lives. Our research identified a significant need to help provide employment and volunteering opportunities for disadvantaged adults who are marginalised in society. Folk who are at risk of falling in to poverty (lack of employment opportunities), re-offending, and becoming even more isolated. New Life Wood will give them a chance to rebuild their lives, gain confidence, make new friends, and help make a difference in their community. New Life Wood will as a result be helping to reduce unemployment and poverty.
We have agreements from HMP Chelmsford and Essex Mental Health NHS Trust to provide referrals to us. We offer 12 week work placement opportunities to help support individuals gain vital experience and skills to equip them for paid employment, either directly within the charity or elsewhere. We offer life skills and employment courses as part of their placement experience. Volunteers will help on wood collections, preparing wood for sorting, creating handmade wood products (trained by volunteer mentors), and gaining retails skills serving customers in our showroom.
We plan to begin our operations in early 2018, subject to identifying a suitable site and securing start up funding. We will be financially self-sufficient in year two and all our surpluses will be re-invested back in to the charity to help fund our work.
The project is being supported by local churches in and around Southend on Sea. As part of the local community we want to invite and encourage other the whole community to get involved too – including the business community who form a vital part of the local landscape. You can do this by donating financial gifts in support of our work, or by getting involved through volunteering.
You can also read more about who we are and what we do by visiting our website www.newlifewood.org.uk or www.facebook.com/NewLifeWoodEssex.
Please also visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/wheelsfornewlifewood