FurNature up and recycle

Context and background

The trend of making furniture from secondary free or low-value general-purpose materials, such as pallets, packaging wood, and used furniture, is actively expanding, especially in view of COVID outcomes. This counts not only in the private sector but also in the arrangement of commercial spaces (cafes, restaurants, clubs), which causes a significant demand for craftsmen (specialists) who are able to create such furniture or have the appropriate skilled knowledge for gear others. When it comes to the youth sector many NGO’s around Europe don't have stable support, thus for the sake of economy, they use outdated and non-comfortable furniture/furnishing in their organisation facilities that are usually detrimental to health. In the same, youth workers are lacking necessary competencies to implement this type of work.

The main aim of the project is to increase quality youth work by educating youth workers on how to apply Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Sustainability principles while equipping public spaces/organisation facilities with upcycled furnishing/furniture

Objectives:

• To increase knowledge of youth workers about Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Sustainability principles and their application in daily work
• To increase competencies of youth workers on plan, design, produce and repair furnishing/furniture
• To increase competencies of youth workers about using various instruments\tools, materials, as well as safety rules while working with them.
• To develop follow-up projects (including equipping public spaces/organisation facilities, including it in ESC activities, craftsman school, etc), by putting in practice acquired competencies during the project

We know from our own experience that with a few practical skills and knowledge about basic tools, materials, every youth worker will be able to implement their own furnishing projects in the organisations as well as to pass this knowledge through offering practical workshops to young people that they work with.

During the project activities, participants are going to design, produce and furnish AKS Noah venue in Strengberg and Perg Youth Center’s public space as well as take part in the public event organised by the Center.
In the matter of safety and protection, participants mostly will be operating the tools without an engine under the supervision of the staff members.

Please be aware that the Training Course will not provide you with academic knowledge as it is a purely non-formal activity, and its success depends on the active participation of everybody present.

Profile of the participants

Youth/social workers, and volunteers that are directly connected to the project partners organisations, who are:
• are familiar with 3R principles and/or craftsman competencies or motivated to acquire them
• looking for basic practical experience on how to plan, design furniture; work with different tools and their safety measures
• eager to transfer gained knowledge to the youth in their organizations and communities.
• committed to work during the whole project, meaning also the implementation of follow-up and dissemination activities in their local communities.
• have a good level of English
• are aged 18+

Boarding and lodging

The meeting will take place on an old farm in Strengberg, a small village 150 km away from Vienna, situated in a beautiful hilly region next to the Danube called Mostviertel.
Our venue “Hof Strengberg” It is very important to point out that the venue is a farm that is usually used for youth camps, and not a hotel!
Participants will share rooms with bunk beds with several persons, and everything is at a very basic level!
Do not come if you expect luxury, vacation and comfort, it will be a very rural and intensive group living experience! Participants will need to take care of accommodation in terms of cleaning after yourself, and other indoor and outdoor tasks needed for the smooth flow of the course.
Feel free to browse more pictures from the venue here: https://tinyurl.com/ybczfh3n
Address: Arbeitskreis Noah “Hof Strengberg”, Grub 12, 3314 Strengberg, Austria.