Wednesday, 29 July 2026

CABINZ CIC LAUNCHES ‘COMMUNITY FRIDGE VANS’ INITIATIVE TO HELP TACKLE THE UK COST OF LIVING CRISIS BY REUSING EX-SUPER MARKET REFRIGERATED VANS

Saltney, North Wales Paul Ridley, Director of Cabinz CIC, a social enterprise based in Saltney, North Wales, near Chester, has launched a new initiative aimed at supporting food banks and charitable food distribution networks during the ongoing cost of food crisis affecting communities across the UK.

Working alongside commercial and charitable partners who have bought several of these vans for use in supplying food banks and car boot sale support, Cabinz CIC has successfully negotiated significant discounts with LPW Fleet Sales, suppliers of fleets of mainly ex-Tesco refrigerated home delivery vans.

These specialist vehicles are now being made available to food banks, charities, and organisations involved in the storage and transportation of food supplies across their distribution networks.

Many of the vehicles available through the initiative are fully electric refrigerated vans, alongside a smaller number of diesel vehicles. The electric fleet offers charities and community organisations a more cost-effective and environmentally sustainable transport solution, with lower operating costs and reduced emissions compared to traditional diesel vans.

As heatwaves and extreme weather, storm and cold events become more frequent due to climate change, ex-supermarket refrigerated box vans could become valuable community resilience assets. Around the world, most "cooling centres" are fixed buildings, but there is growing interest in mobile cooling for people who cannot easily reach those buildings.

The German Red Cross and Vietnam Red Cross have even produced a manual encouraging the establishment of community cooling centres for vulnerable populations during extreme heat.

Paul Ridley, Director of Cabinz CIC, said:

“Food banks and community food organisations are under enormous pressure. Reliable refrigerated transport is critical for reducing food waste, maintaining food safety, and ensuring vulnerable people receive essential support.

Through this initiative, we want to help charities and food suppliers access affordable refrigerated vehicles that would otherwise be beyond reach, especially in extreme weather events.”

Cabinz CIC is also exploring wider community and environmental uses for vehicles where supply exceeds the immediate needs of food distribution charities. Potential alternative uses include Energy & Winter Support Van, Mobile Youth Space / Gym / Outreach Van, Mobile Tool Library / DIY Support, Mobile Warm Hub / Digital Access Van, Community Laundry & Hygiene Van.

Converting vehicles into flat-bed trucks for wood collection, box vans with tail-lifts for furniture collection, mobile food stores, or refrigerated trailer units if Fridge body is removed.

The organisation believes these repurposed electric vehicles could provide a significant green improvement for towns and cities by helping to reduce pollution in urban centres while supporting wider community recycling and reuse initiatives.

The discounted refrigerated vans will help organisations transport fresh produce, chilled goods, and surplus supermarket stock more efficiently, improving operational capacity while lowering costs.

Cabinz CIC is now inviting local authorities, charitable organisations, community interest groups, food redistribution networks, and business leaders to collaborate on expanding the initiative nationwide.

The organisation believes that stronger partnerships between social enterprises, the private sector, and community organisations are essential in tackling the growing pressures caused by inflation and food insecurity.

About Cabinz CIC

Cabinz CIC is a social enterprise based in Saltney, North Wales, working on practical community-focused initiatives that support sustainability, social impact, and economic resilience across local communities.

For further information, partnership enquiries, or expressions of interest, please contact:

Paul Ridley
Director — Cabinz CIC
Saltney, North Wales
cabinznet@gmail.com
0743 2315470

ENDS

Thursday, 23 July 2026

Community Resilience Shops: A New Model for Stronger Communities Helping households save money, reduce waste, build practical skills and prepare for an uncertain future

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community Resilience Shops: A New Model for Stronger Communities

Helping households save money, reduce waste, build practical skills and prepare for an uncertain future

Communities across the UK are facing a growing range of challenges. Climate change, rising living costs, economic uncertainty, changing employment patterns and increasing pressure on public services are affecting households of all ages and incomes. Large charities are closing hundreds of charity shops

At the same time, millions of tonnes of perfectly usable materials are discarded each year, valuable practical skills are being lost, and many people lack access to affordable tools, repair services and opportunities to learn.

These challenges are often treated separately. The Resilience Shop offers a way to address them together.

Rather than being simply another retail outlet, a Resilience Community Shop is a community hub where people can buy, borrow, repair, reuse, learn and share. It combines practical retail with education, community enterprise and local action to help people become more self-reliant while reducing waste and supporting a more resilient local economy.

Cabinz cic and their partners have another related initiative called ‘COMMUNITY FRIDGE VANS’ INITIATIVE they have bought several used electric ex Supermarket Electric Delivery Vans at a bargain price for distributing low cost new & used goods to communities - see details

Mobile Resilience Shops in Electric & Diesel Vans in ‘COMMUNITY FRIDGE VANS’ INITIATIVE

A Practical Response to Today's Challenges

A Resilience Community Shop could offer:

reclaimed building materials
refurbished furniture and household goods
repair cafés and repair services
tool libraries and equipment hire
DIY supplies and repair kits
gardening, composting and food-growing products
food preservation equipment
home energy-saving products
water conservation equipment
solar and off-grid technologies
bicycles and cycle repair
reuse and upcycling materials
maker spaces and fabrication workshops
practical skills training
volunteering opportunities
enterprise and employment support
community meeting space
seed libraries and local exchange schemes

The aim is simple: help people save money, waste less, learn more and become better prepared for whatever the future brings.

Building Resilience at Every Level

The model supports resilience in multiple ways.

Household resilience through lower living costs, practical skills and improved preparedness.

Economic resilience by supporting local enterprise, repair businesses, reuse industries and new employment opportunities.

Environmental resilience by reducing waste, extending product life, conserving resources and encouraging lower-carbon lifestyles.

Community resilience by creating places where people meet, volunteer, exchange skills and support one another.

Learning from Proven Ideas

Many successful initiatives already demonstrate the value of individual elements of this approach.

Sweden's ReTuna Reuse Mall has shown how reuse can generate employment and reduce waste.

Repair Cafés have spread internationally, helping thousands of people repair rather than replace.

Tool libraries, makerspaces, community workshops and reclaimed building material centres are growing around the world.

The opportunity is to bring these proven concepts together into one integrated model that is easy for communities to access.

A New Opportunity for Charity Shops and Community Organisations

Britain's charity retail sector has made an enormous contribution to reuse and fundraising.

However, many charities are facing rising operating costs, increasing competition and changing shopping habits.

The Resilience Community Shop provides an opportunity for interested charities, community businesses and social enterprises to broaden their role.

By introducing repair services, reclaimed materials, tool lending, practical workshops, energy-saving products, food-growing supplies and community learning, charities could diversify income, attract new audiences and increase their social impact while remaining true to their charitable purpose.

Some existing charity shops could evolve into Community Resilience Hubs, becoming places where local people not only donate and buy goods but also learn skills, repair possessions, borrow equipment, volunteer and build stronger local networks.

Supporting Public Policy

The proposal complements many existing priorities, including:

climate adaptation
Net Zero
circular economy
waste reduction
skills development
lifelong learning
employment and enterprise
public health
social value
community wealth building
active citizenship
volunteering
emergency preparedness

It offers a practical way to deliver these ambitions through local partnerships involving councils, charities, businesses, colleges and community organisations.

Strengthening Communities

Resilience Community Shops can also contribute to stronger, more active neighbourhoods by bringing people together around practical activities that improve everyday life. Workshops, repair events, volunteering opportunities and community exchanges help build local relationships, reduce isolation and encourage civic participation.

Where shops are located in town or neighbourhood centres, they can also help bring vacant premises back into productive community use. Increased legitimate activity and regular footfall can complement wider regeneration efforts and support a healthy local business environment alongside effective policing and regulatory enforcement.

Measuring Success

Success should be measured by the difference made to communities, including:

household savings
materials reused
waste prevented
carbon emissions reduced
people trained
volunteers supported
jobs created
businesses started
community groups engaged
tools borrowed
food grown
homes made more energy efficient

These wider outcomes demonstrate that resilience is about far more than retail.

A Call to Action

We invite local authorities, Members of Parliament, combined authorities, charities, housing associations, trade associations, educational institutions, environmental organisations, businesses and community groups to work together to establish pilot Community Resilience Shops across the UK.

By bringing together expertise from the public, private and voluntary sectors, these pilots could demonstrate how local communities can become stronger, more resourceful and better prepared for future challenges.

Looking Ahead

The challenges facing society will not disappear overnight. Communities need practical places that help people adapt, learn, repair, save, create and support one another.

The Resilience Community Shop is designed to meet that need.

It is more than a shop. It is a practical investment in stronger households, stronger local economies and stronger communities.

This is an idea by Paul Ridley

Wednesday, 15 July 2026

Low cost sun heat resistant shutters made from fencing wood like feather edge

Draft Campaign Proposal: Resilient Community Hubs (RCH) A Global Trade Association Campaign for Community Manufacturing of Insulated Building Panels, Storm Shutters and Emergency Shelters

Draft Campaign Proposal: Resilient Communities Hubs (RCH)

A Global Trade Association Campaign for Community Manufacturing of Insulated Building Panels, Storm Shutters and Emergency Shelters

Vision

Create a global alliance of trade associations, manufacturers, builders, local authorities and community organisations to protect homes and public buildings from extreme weather while creating local green jobs through distributed manufacturing.

Campaign slogan:

"Build Local. Protect Local. Recover Faster."

Objectives

The campaign seeks to:

Reduce damage from heatwaves, storms, floods and cold weather
Train local communities to manufacture insulated panels and storm shutters
Create temporary manufacturing hubs using modular garden-room style workshops
Develop community resilience before disasters occur
Support SMEs and local manufacturing
Reduce energy consumption through retrofit insulation
Provide rapid-deployment shelters following disasters

Why Trade Associations?

Trade associations already provide:

Technical standards
Certification
Skills training
Manufacturing networks
Supply chains
Government engagement
Insurance confidence

Rather than creating a new industry, the campaign would coordinate existing industries.

Potential participants include:

Construction

National Builders Associations
Structural Insulated Panel Association (SIPA)
Engineered Panels in Construction (EPIC)
Insulated Metal Panel Association (IMPA)
Insulating Concrete Formwork Association (ICFA)

These organisations already promote quality standards, installer training and energy-efficient construction.

Manufacturing

Steel fabricators
Timber associations
Composite manufacturers
Aluminium associations
Plastics recycling associations

Community organisations

Rotary
Lions Clubs
Men's Sheds
Repair Cafés
Scouts
Community colleges
Maker Spaces

Emergency response

Red Cross
Red Crescent
Civil Defence
Local resilience forums
Volunteer emergency organisations

Campaign Structure

Phase 1 – Coalition

Invite trade associations to become founding members.

Develop a common charter covering:

resilient housing
community manufacturing
retrofit standards
emergency shelter production
climate adaptation
workforce development

Phase 2 – Best Practice Library

Produce open-source designs for:

insulated wall panels
roof panels
flood barriers
removable storm shutters
heat-reflective window systems
emergency modular shelters
insulated garden-room workshops

Phase 3 – Local Manufacturing Network

Each participating town establishes a Community Resilience Workshop.

Typical workshop:

converted warehouse
garden room
unused school workshop
council depot
agricultural shed

Equipment:

panel saw
CNC router
insulation cutting tools
presses
framing jigs
small lifting equipment

Phase 4 – Community Training

Certification programmes:

Level 1

retrofit installer

Level 2

insulated panel assembler

Level 3

emergency shelter installer

Level 4

resilience workshop supervisor

Trade associations would issue certificates.

Phase 5 – Pre-disaster Stockpiles

Manufacture during normal periods:

insulated panels
shutters
modular wall kits
emergency shelter kits

Store locally.

Deploy immediately after disasters.

Manufacturing Concept

Community workshops could manufacture:

Home protection

insulated shutters
storm shutters
removable flood panels
roof strengthening kits
insulated loft panels

Public buildings

Schools

Libraries

Health centres

Community halls

Sports centres

Emergency accommodation

Garden-room style modules could become:

temporary homes
medical rooms
community kitchens
childcare spaces
emergency classrooms

Funding Sources

Potential partners include:

Government

Climate adaptation funds
Disaster resilience grants
Skills funding
Housing retrofit programmes

Private sector

Insurance companies
Building product manufacturers
Utilities
Banks
Philanthropic foundations

International

World Bank
UNDP
Green Climate Fund
Asian Development Bank
European Investment Bank

Global Best Practice

1. Structural Insulated Panel Association (USA)

SIPA has spent decades creating:

installer training
manufacturing quality standards
performance testing
certification
research collaboration

Its collaborative industry model is a strong example of how trade associations can accelerate adoption of resilient, energy-efficient construction.

2. EPIC (United Kingdom) Engineered Panels in Construction

EPIC works closely with government, standards bodies and industry to produce technical guidance and best practice for insulated panel construction. This demonstrates the value of a trade body acting as a bridge between manufacturers, regulators and practitioners.

3. Community-Based Shelter Design

Recent research recommends involving local communities from the earliest design stage, integrating local knowledge, passive design, renewable energy and culturally appropriate construction. Community participation improves long-term resilience and sustainability.

4. Reused & Recycled Materials for Emergency Shelters

Research shows that recycled plastic composites and modular insulated panels can support low-cost, locally adaptable emergency shelters, especially where community recycling and local production are feasible.

Innovation Opportunity

A distinctive feature of this campaign would be distributed manufacturing. Instead of relying on a few large factories, communities would maintain small, certified workshops capable of producing retrofit panels, storm shutters and modular shelters close to where they are needed. This approach can shorten response times, create local employment, build practical skills and strengthen regional supply-chain resilience.

This model aligns climate adaptation, disaster preparedness, workforce development and local manufacturing into a single collaborative programme, using trade associations to set standards, certify training and coordinate industry while empowering communities to produce resilient building components locally.

Wednesday, 28 January 2026

We are helping a local company in N.Wales clear a now closed factory in Chester of new & reusable items, many passed to charities, community groups and small bus.

Food banks, local charities and scrap stores have been contacted and some of the items have been collected already. The pics show what would be most attractive to scrap stores schools and art groups. They include all new bars of soap, paper and plastic film rolls, card pallets , treasury tags (the factory made these ) box files, storage crates, labels, plastic pots.

All items are taken & used at collectors own risk