East Belfast Mission win Best Belfast Business award

Up against other private sector businesses, including Mourne Seafood Bar and the Malone Lodge Hotel, this East Belfast social enterprise came out on top.

East Belfast Mission was established in the 1800s, but its job remains the same:

To transform and renew East Belfast, a mission which underpins its latest recycling initiatives, Re:Furb, Re:Fresh, Re:Store and Vintage.

The Re:Furb project, funded by DOE’s Rethink Waste Campaign, accepts donated furniture that can be refurbished or reupholstered before selling through the Re:Store shops. Previously, donations could not be accepted if they did not reach a certain standard and this was simply because the goods were “sold as seen”. Due to the project, furniture can now be stripped down, repainted, recovered and even made fire retardant before being sold through the Re:Store shops.

Re:Fresh café provides a focal point for community gatherings, supports the East Belfast Mission’s meals–on–wheels service and provides hot and nutritious food to locals and visitors alike.

Veteran East Belfast community activist Maurice Kinkead, who nominated East Belfast Mission’s Director of Business Development Anne Walsh for the Aisling Business Award, praises her “unstoppable” attitude.

“Anne is an inspiration to everyone in East Belfast,” he said, “she displays great gusto and determination in every project she spearheads.”

 For more information on East Belfast Mission visit: http://www.ebm.org.uk/news.php