Who we are:

The UK generates around 5 million tonnes of wood waste every year, but less than 1% is reused. Touch Wood rescues waste timber that would otherwise be sent to landfill or turned into woodchip; creating jobs and training opportunities for disadvantaged local people at the same time.

We collect from construction sites, industrial estates and other commercial sources, reclaiming everything from pallets to indoor cycle tracks – you name it, we take it! Anything we can’t reuse is locally recycled, so nothing goes to waste. Some of the timber we work with comes from high profile sources, including the entire track of the Manchester Velodrome cycling centre and wood removed in the refurbishment of Manchester’s historic Town Hall!

Touch Wood have ongoing opportunities for volunteers in our wood recycling workshop, in which we rescue waste wood, collected by EMERGE Recycling, and repurpose it for re-sale and re-use, or turn it into a wide range of upcycled timber products.

What are we looking for?

Our volunteers are able to gain skills in practical woodworking, as we offer hands-on experience of working with reclaimed timber; from prepping basic lumber products for re-sale to builders and DIY enthusiasts, through to assisting with the creation of bespoke items, such as practical or decorative pieces and furniture for home and garden.

Please be advised that our volunteers require a fair level of physical fitness and manual dexterity because the role is entirely practical.

What would you be doing as a volunteer?

Our team of staff and volunteers regularly create bespoke pieces to order; some of it for famous clients like record-breaking Olympic cycling champions Jason and Laura Kenny, for whom we made a table from the Manchester Velodrome track.

So whether you’re a jobseeker interested in a career in construction or woodwork, actively retired, a student or recent college graduate seeking experience, or just someone with spare time on your hands wanting to do something positive and to meet new people, volunteering with us may be just the ticket!

Full training in woodworking and health and safety is provided, along with Personal Protection Equipment. We also reimburse travel and lunch expenses on completion of a 4 hour shift.

Our Touch Wood workshop is open to volunteers Mon-Fri, 9am to 4pm, with 4 hour minimum volunteer shifts available within these hours according to your availability.

We occupy a unit at the EMERGE 3Rs base at Maynard House on New Smithfield Market, in Openshaw, North Manchester, which is accessed from the main site entrance on Whitworth Street East (off Ashton Old Road).

Location: Maynard House, New Smithfield Market, Openshaw, M112JW

Getting to us:

We are just a 15 minute bus ride from Manchester Piccadilly, with our brand new base, Maynard House, located on New Smithfield Market, which is only a few yards off a main route into the city: Ashton Old Road. The market can easily be reached on a number of bus services, with the 219 being the most frequent. There are bus stops on both sides of Ashton Old Road, very close to the entrance to the market: (the WESTLAKE STREET stop, if you are heading out of the city centre towards Ashton under Lyne, and the GREENSIDE STREET stop being the closest if you are travelling towards Manchester Piccadilly). From Ashton Old Road, turn onto Whitworth Street East, and go through the market entrance barriers, then turn left and proceed to our base, which is on the left hand side. For cyclists, we have secure bike storage at our base, as well as free onsite parking within the market for those arriving by car.
If you are using a sat nav to get to us, please note that the gate on Whitworth Street East is the only point of entry to the market site, although some navigation systems may say something different.

We welcome any amount of time you can offer us, but we do ask for a minimum commitment of 4 hours a week in order to cover our standard shifts. The shift you take part in is assigned according to what suits you best.