Photograph supplied by Herts & Essex Star Newspaper
Ecco Group's Big Tenth Birthday
A COMMUNITY group in Harlow which has spent the past decade running initiatives to improve the environment has celebrated its 10th anniversary.
The Environmental Conservation Co-operative marked the occasion last Monday with a party for its supporters, including the town’s MP Bill Rammell, its four staff and two volunteers.
The not-for-profit organisation was set up by 10 people in 1995 who met on a training programme being run by Harlow Co-operative Development Agency.
EECO has since expanded to run a range of initiatives, including producing a CD-Rom for children about sustainability and running an environmental visitors area in Harlow Study Centre until it was closed by Harlow Council in March.
Its latest project has seen ECCO, with a £298,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund, launch Text-BAC – Building Awareness in the Community – which recycles and reuses textiles and bric-a-brac. Goods are picked up a staff and volunteers. However, thieves continue to steal items left out for collection and director and project manager Sean Folan is urging anyone with information about suspect collectors to call him and the police.
Mr Folan said ECCO is more in demand than ever and added: “We have shown we can deliver a project on the ground and we are taken a lot more seriously.”
Speaking about how the service has changed over the years, Mr Folan added: “The major thing is the development of partnership-working between local authorities and community organisations like ourselves.”
He added: “I won’t deny that the last decade has been hard work and required a lot of dedication but it has certainly been a worthwhile experience.”
To donate goods to ECCO, call (01279) 444244 or 07764949610