The Proper Job story
Back in 1993 a group of environmentally conscious allotment holders launched a community composting project. They wanted to compost garden clippings going to landfill and create a local recycling facility for other items. All were committed to principles of zero waste and environmental sustainability. The rural skip service was being filled up with many reusable, recyclable and compostable items and the nearest recycling centres were 15 and 22 miles away. The group started their activities around the skips that came to the town each month and took out as much reusable and recyclable materials as possible.
Proper Job Limited was set up by these founding members in 1995, describing itself as “a community business committed to principles of sustainability and helping to create jobs”. This is still true for Proper Job over twenty years on. Plans were developed to find a permanent site for larger scale compost production, which also included the holistic vision which embraced the concept of a healthy community. This was achieved through principles of community participation, with recycling and sustainability as a central feature.
Specific proposals included:
- Obtaining a permanent site for a Resource Centre for recycling, training and vegetable growing (Proper Job Resource Centre)
- Opening a wholefood community shop and café. (The Courtyard Café and Shop)
The plan was implemented over the next 5 years, financed by funding grants and supporters who provided a premises, fittings and equipment at a deferred rental. Supporters in the community also loaned money to enable the purchase of the initial stock for a café and shop. In March 2021 The Courtyard was sold to local owners who continue the original ethos and passion for local food. It now trades independently as The Beehive Farm Shop.
Since 2000 the Proper Job Resource Centre can be found on a site next to Market Field. This permanent site has enabled Proper Job to evolve organically into what it is today.
Throughout the years Proper Job has acted as a spring board for local businesses as well as individuals who work for us. We are proud to have been able to support other local initiatives such as Chagfarm and Chagfood and plan to continue helping to build a sustainable community.
On June 19th 2018 Proper Job was recognised by the Charities Commission and became a registered charity. The objectives of the Proper Job Resource Centre are the protection and preservation of the environment by the promotion of waste reduction, re-use and recycling and advancing education of the general public about all aspects of waste generation, waste management and waste recycling. We aim to educate, help and inspire people to live more sustainably.
We host workshops and events to get the community involved. Keep up to date on our events page. We also help and encourage other communities to follow our lead because every town deserves a Proper Job!
What can I donate to Proper Job?
We take unwanted furniture, electricals, books, textiles etc, that are in good re-usable condition. By donating you can help us to prevent the wasteful disposal of resources.
Thanks to your donations we are able to offer a special 15% discount on furniture to people who are on benefits, pensioners, people with disabilities and students.
If you would like to donate items for re-use please check the list on what you can donate. This also includes what we cannot take and what items we charge for. You can either bring them to us at Proper Job or we can pick them up in our van for a small charge. Please give us a call for a collection quote or for more information on 01647 432985 or email info@proper-job.org
What I can donate
Chargeables
We deliver and collect
Is the item you want to buy or donate too big to fit in your car? Don’t worry, we provide a local pick-up and delivery service at a reasonable price. Thanks to the overwhelming support we received from the local community during our crowd funding campaign in December 2014 we are able to continue with this service. Click here to see our crowdfunding video from back in 2014 starring BBC’s Simon Reeve.
We pick up and deliver large items of furniture and reclaimed building materials. If you would like to arrange a delivery or collection, please contact the Proper Job yard on 01647432985 to speak to a friendly member of our team. We will give you a quote and book you in at a time that is suitable for you.
Compost
Our compost is lovingly hand crafted from all the freshest garden clippings that are brought to us by our community. Shredded and mixed to produce a veritable bacterial bonfire, feeding hundreds of billions of microscopic life forms and generating a tremendous heat. Then slowly cooling and maturing and being colonised by wondrous tiger worms who go through it and transform it into the highest quality compost. Exactly what your garden and allotment deserves.
Proper Job compost is teeming with life, which your soil and plants benefit from, it will build and sequester carbon in your soil, hold water, yet encourage aeration, help heat the soil and if used as a mulch it will smother weeds.
Don’t hesitate to bring us your green waste, and let your garden or allotment enjoy the fruits of our labour and buy your compost from us as well.
