Since September I have been volunteering at a series of Give and Take Days organised by the charity Waste Watch. The aim of the 3 month campaign running across 7 North London boroughs was to encourage the reuse of unwanted items within the local community, divert reusable items from landfill and improve community cohesion. For each of the events, which were held within schools, churches and community halls, emphasis was placed at a local level but for me the idea represents a very global issue. It occurred to me whilst volunteering that the Give and Take Days highlight one of the biggest problems we have in the world relating to resources. When people talk about resources they often refer to the concerns we have regarding the shortage of materials left in the world. However, in my opinion, the problem lies within the spread and distribution of resources. This was shown through many examples of people attending the Give and Take days. To generalise, there were those who came purely to give large amounts of good quality items they no longer needed (perhaps because they could afford to upgrade to a newer model) and there were others who came in search of second hand items that they may not have been able to buy new from the shops. It was a refreshing experience to see resources in a positive light and to celebrate what people do have and what they can give to others who have less then them. Totting up the weights of items at the end of the day showed us how many tonnes had not only been saved from a landfill site but also how much had been redistributed within the local area.
As you would expect from any free-for-all event there would quite often be a bit of hustle and bustle at the beginning of the taking session. For busy events we had to use the decorative bunting to create a starting line to hold back eager attendees who with their eyes peeled for prize items were chomping on the bit as they waited whilst the minutes ticked away until taking began. This gentle ruckus helped to keep us volunteers on our toes and also developed our crowd control skills. Although all the argy-bargy behaviour was resolved with the greatest professionalism, we couldn’t help but be amused by some of the mild disputes that occasionally broke out. Thankfully, the few “but I saw it first” misunderstandings were calmly negotiated and settled amicably for all parties.
As a volunteer it was very rewarding to see large volumes of items being redistributed and passed on to new homes. On one occasion, deciding to make the most of a quiet moment at the donations table, I went for a perusal of what had been left after the initial rush of taking. Whilst leafing through a couple of old books a young girl came up to ask me if she could take a book. I replied enthusiastically that she could take a handful if she wanted but she informed me that she only needed one. When I asked her about the book she had chosen - a Jacqueline Wilson classic that I remember pouring over excitedly as a teenager – she remarked:
“ I am taking it for my little sister because they are her favourite books and I didn’t have enough pocket money to buy her one for her birthday.”
For me, this sums up the whole aim of the Give and Take days, giving all that you can, taking only what you need and being grateful for what you have received.
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