AN Aladdin’s cave for creative people in Worcester celebrated its new-look home with a grand reopening and 10th birthday party.

After 10 years of reuse, Worcestershire Resource Exchange staff and volunteers spent two weeks decorating the unit on Shrub Hill Industrial Estate, making their way through 120 litres of recycled paint.

The scrap store held a grand reopening, with the cutting of the ribbon by Robin Walker MP and Cecil Duckworth CBE, chairman of the Duckworth Worcestershire Trust, the sister organisation of WRE.

The project’s current 1,000 members, as well as its previous members, were invited to join the celebrations and share birthday cake.

WRE manager Beth Hill said: “The relaunch day was a great success. Robin Walker MP took time to look around our project and find out about where our resources come from.

“It was lovely to have our staff, volunteers, scrap store members and friends all join us to celebrate our reopening and made the hours of painting worthwhile.”

The newly refurbished WRE offers an improved art and craft shop and reference library with lots of suggestions and ideas about how the scrap resources can be used, as well as a selection of other reclaimed materials, such as household paints and hard and soft wood for DIY.

It is also still collecting clean and safe waste from a range of local industries and businesses, diverting it from landfill, as its original function and makes it available to members as a creative resource for projects.

Materials change constantly but often it has paper, felt, cardboard, shiny film, sticky backed plastic, foam, plastic cups, fabrics, tubing and more.

The Worcestershire Resource Exchange is open to the public on Thursdays 12pm until 7pm, Friday 10am until 5pm and Saturdays 10am until 1pm.

For more information, including directions, visit wre.uk.com, call 01905 726796 or e-mail info@wre.uk.com.