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Let’s look at some price comparisons

We compared our prices to our competitors, and you won’t believe what we found

If you follow us on social media, you may have seen a few price comparison posts pop up on your feed. They had quite a big reaction, but when you see the findings you will see why.

Here, we have focused on three of our competitors to see how Seagulls’ prices compare side by side with others.

F&B

So let’s take this high-end, rather pricey paint company. They are known for their expensive prices and desirability. However, they are quite unattainable for the average person.

We find that a lot of our customers come into Seagulls wanting specific colours from this company, this is where our Bespoke colour mixing service comes into play… Hague Blue is one of the most popular (the colour seen below)

High-end or second-hand?

If you decided to splash out and paint your lounge head to toe with our competitor, it would set you back a grand total of £265! Yes, you read that right.

However, shopping at Seagulls won’t even make a dent in your wallet, coming to a total of £30.55. This means you are saving yourself £234 (It’s a no brainer really).

Come on, think about all of the things you could buy for £234.

If you are worried about not getting the exact colours as a said company, you are not to worry. We offer a bespoke paint mixing service, working mainly from colour charts, or specific items if you wish! This means we can get the exact colour you want, for a fraction of the price.

Collecting leftover and unwanted paint from householders across Leeds is so rewarding, and to see price differences in this capacity puts what we do into perspective.

B&Q

Next, we chose a company less known for its higher-end pricing, but it is one of the go-to DIY stores in the UK. Being a large DIY & home improvement store, everyone knows about it could be a lot of people’s first choice if they don’t know where any other paint companies are, so this price comparison is quite interesting.

Our paint is as cheap as chips

After crunching the numbers with this competitor, we noted that all the paint needed for this room would total £77, but just £30.55 from us at Seagulls.

That is a saving of £46.45. Shopping at Seagulls is a massive bonus for your bank account with the added bonus of helping the environment and helping people.

Wickes

Finally, we compared our prices to another big paint company, which sell home improvement products, and is a fairly popular choice.

As you can see, there is a considerable difference in prices with our competitors totalling £84. Shopping with Seagulls would save you £53.45, with our grand total being £30.55. You could book yourself onto on of our decorating courses for what you would save… twice!

Would you even be able to tell the difference?

Reprocessing paint and selling it at Seagulls for a fraction of the price of other, more traditional paint shops with a wide selection of paint, varnish and timber care alongside Seagulls branded new paint (it’s trade quality at reasonable prices) and a range of decorating equipment, we have everything you need and more! We will continue to create a price comparison to remind our shoppers how much they are saving!

12L for £10

Finally, we were lucky enough to be given over 17 pallets of Leyland White Contract Matt Emulsion! This equates to over 100 tubs.

We decided to sell these 10L tubs for just £10, a special Seagulls offer (that’s about 83p per litre). Our competitors sell this exact paint, one selling for £19.50 and £17.50 for another.

We have been extremely lucky to get out hands on these, and we love the fact we can sell them at a discounted price… plus we still have plenty left for those interested.

Outdoor Market

Our Spring Market is fast approaching

It is nearly that time again! The prep for our Spring Market is well underway, and we are just as excited as you are. After the success of our winter market, we can’t wait for you all to be back at Seagulls.. hopefully with fewer layers this time.

Ben has been working hard on booking some fantastic vendors and stallholders to make this one too remember!

Without Ben from Seagulls Mosaic, the market would not have been nearly possible. Ben coordinates our markets and makes them what they are. A true legend!

As well as a wide range of artists, makers and creators we will have food stalls, beer from our friends at Kirkstall Brewery and Ginny the Gin Wagon.

Some stallholders you can expect to see;

Both days-

Huandmee

Hu & mee offers a variety of Panda-themed items (cards, towels, mugs, you name it!), Simple ‘Punny’ Cards & Doodles.

Boki Ethical

Boki Ethical sell sustainable stationery, home decor & clothing. They are a creative space for standing up for causes close to their hearts like mental health awareness, environment, women’s rights & equality.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca_zqFYA1vi/

Goods in General

Goods in General concentrate on vintage, industrial and salvaged. All items are practical, quality items saving them from landfills and ensuring they won’t be left to gather dust.

Laura Fernandez Designs

Laura makes small batches of Jewellery, accessories & homeware as unique as the person who owns them! After studying Printed Textiles, Laura began experimenting and working with polymer clay as a side project to let her creativity run free.

Kat Williams Illustration

Kat Williams is an Illustrator inspired by stories, mythology, history, education & funny animals.

Valmont studio

Valmont Studio is run by Gill, a Jewellery maker based in Leeds. She works mainly in enamels, silver and copper, but also is open to experimentation.

Emcullyart

Emily Cullen Illustrations sells a mixture of Pet portraits, Plant prints, Cards and Album cover illustrations.

L&O Sweets as Gifts

L&O Sweets as Gifts offer personalised Vegan & Vegetarian sweets for all occasions. They have a variety of letterbox gifts so they can come straight to your door!

A Vegan Mothers Day Letterbox Gift.

Carter & Francis

Carter & Francis make handmade items, with love from discarded, vintage and remnant materials in Yorkshire. We especially love this blue bag!

Saturday-

The Little Soy House sells handmade homeware, soy candles & wax melts. The perfect present for a loved one!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ-BRFbLFw-/

RJ Heald Photography

Richard is a photographer from Leeds with a love for music, and of course, has a talent for capturing his surroundings perfectly.

Joy Rooney Studio

Joy Rooney creates different pieces of art inspired by nature, colour and protecting the earth.

March Makes

March Makes is a small family run business, that makes a variety of letterbox gifts and care packages. You may also find some unique jewellery pieces on their Etsy too!

Biddy and Bear

Biddy and Bear are a unisex children’s clothing company, inspired by the lack of good clothing for children on the high street. They source unique clothing ethically, of course!

Soft and Squiffy

Soft and Squiffy is run by Leah, who upcycles her children’s old clothing, or old clothes of her own, and gives them a new lease of life. The filling of her cushions, like the one shown below, is used from recycled plastic bottles.

Scraplets

Mark is the Chief Scrapleteer at Scraplets. He is a woodworker and maker based in Leeds. After finding a block of wood with nails looking like arms and legs, he decided to begin making different characters during lockdown. All the Scraplets are made from reclaimed wood.

Wednesday Moon Shop

Wednesday Moon sells Handmade eco homeware, LGBTQ+ prints & cards. They have a range of Jesmonite candle holders, body vase pots and soap dishes, all in bright and eclectic colours.

Black Violet

Rebecca specialises in Concrete, Moss, Crystal Jewellery & Homeware. An impressive variety!

Sunday-

Sybils Tea Company

Sybil’s Tea Co are a loose-leaf teas & tea-themed gifts company, for all you tea lovers!

Blooming Fern Yorkshire

Handcrafted wreaths and other home decors using both natural and artificial materials depending on the season or occasion!

Lovingly Green

Lovingly Green is a UK online shop, which focuses on eco-friendly body, beauty & wellness.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CaKFo8Ysm4m/

Charlartz

Charlotte Johnson is a Leeds-based wildlife illustrator. She uses watercolour and ink to bring to life various species of animals.

Matty Burnham Art

Matty Burnham is an artist who works with mostly ink and watercolour and creates art like the image below. How amazing.

Secret Industries

Secret industries make fun logos, identity & print designs for clients, with Northern inspired prints & apparel for fun! This is a personal favourite.

Knit Yours

Knit Yours sells a variety of amazing handmade knitwear, with the help of, in their words ‘lovely, if a little temperamental, knitting machine’

Parker & Home

Parker & Home sell handcrafted Jesmonite homeware, and has plenty of seasonal products for the perfect Easter gift!

Meanhood.co

Meanhood is our friendly neighbourhood record pusher – who doesn’t just pop up, but also throws down!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CadEejAMcaD/

Resaro

Kristina is behind Resaro. She is a passionate crafter, sewist, knitter, fabric & yarn hoarder.

Tilly Boos

Tilly Boos creates bespoke personalised gifts and products, working with fabric, glass, acrylic and wood.

Amy Lee Creative

Amy Lee offers Graphic Design, Illustration and Print Work. Her work is playful and bold, and will fit perfectly at the market!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZcCP-LMAg0/

Food

We haven’t forgotten about the food! All the shopping and browsing means one thing, you will get peckish.. and we have just the solution. (All food vendors will be doing both days of the market.)

Humbl Coffee

Why not start your day with our favourite, Humbl Coffee. They are back, hopefully, this time they aren’t in the firing line of wind, rain and snow!

The Slice is Right

Why not treat yourself to a slice of pizza for lunch! The Slice Is Right is a Leeds-based mobile pizza caterer. They specialise in traditional Neopolitan pizzas, with plenty of options (including vegan!)

Mama’s House

Mama’s house is a fusion of mouth-watering West African delicacies and Caribbean succulents with a variety of rich and righteous rum drinks. Mouth-watering alright!

The Little Yorkshire Scone Co.

All things scone! The little Yorkshire scone co. offer gift boxes, hampers and unique flavoured scones are delivered anywhere in the UK. My favourite is the Cream Cheese & Salmon, yum!

Glazed and Confused

Finish off your day with a lovely doughnut for dessert! Glazed and Confused sell all-vegan doughnuts, and they are just as good as they look!

We look forward to seeing you all there! Keep an eye out for our posters, and maybe even snap a photo and tag us if you do.

Seagulls x

Mosaic & Upcycling Workshops

Ok, so next up lets talk about another familiar workshop, and a new one on the block.

If you have visited Seagulls, you may know we have a mosaic studio just behind the paint store, where you will usually find Ben.

Ben is our resident mosaic artist, who creates all the kits you can find in our store, and also his murals, that you can find dotted around Leeds. Seagulls Mosaics turns broken and clipped tiles into beautiful art.

Our upcycling workshop is ran by the lovely Amy, or @teapotsandblankets on Instagram. She is a West Yorkshire based vintage buyer, who has a serious talent for giving items a new lease of life.

Cactus Mosaic created by a workshop attendee

Mosaic

Seagulls mosaic was founded by Alison, who was drawn to Seagulls in our early days and brought creativity, colour, passion in abundance.

Alison was the driving force behind our Mosaic Workshop, and without her it would not be what is is today! And 16 years later it is still standing and bringing colour and art to people across Leeds.

Our fully equipped Mosaic Workshop encourages exploration and expression of personal creativity – art that everyone can enjoy.

This 2 hour workshop enables you to learn the art of mosaic: from design through to a finished piece.

You will have the opportunity to create an a4 size mosaic on a board or on mesh, depending on whether you want the mosaic for indoor or external installation.

Over the 2 hours you will be guided through the design and making process to learn the techniques needed to create a beautiful mosaic.

Upcycling

This workshop is a super relaxed and informal experience. It is for people who have always wanted to have a go at painting furniture but don’t know where to start or don’t feel brave enough to put brush to wood!

In this full day workshop you will learn how to transform a piece of furniture. Bring your own piece and we will give you the skills and confidence to upcycle your piece of furniture.

You will learn how to prepare, sand, paint and finish your item using Seagulls Paint (we will even mix it to your exact colour choice), to breathe a new lease of life into your chosen piece. As well as painting, you will learn how to create shapes and patterns that are simple to achieve.

You can also check out our Instagram Reels to see step by steps on what actually happens during the workshops.

Here are some amazing examples of customer work made during the workshops;

Pastel Pink Garden Set

Get your garden ready for spring

Spring is slowly approaching, which means one thing, time to decorate your garden! With the unconventional British weather, keeping your garden intact over the colder months can seem impossible. So now the forecast is looking up, it is time to revamp your garden.

Flowers, plants and outdoor lighting are no longer the only ways to revamp your outdoor space. A lick of paint can go a long way, and change your space entirely for the warmer weather.

Shopping with Seagulls will keep costs low, but quality high, and certainly impress your garden party guests.

Also, we have an amazing offer on all repurposed masonry paint, on sale for just £1 a litre for all of March.

What needs painting in your garden?

Here is a list of things that may need a fresh lick of paint after the miserable weather;

  • Shed
  • Garden Fence
  • Garden Furniture
  • Plant pots
  • Decking
  • Exterior house wall/doors

What you need to do before painting

There are multiple steps you must take into consideration before you begin your project;

  • What type of surface you are working on?
  • What is the quality of the surface?
  • Will it need sanding, or even the use of a pressure washer to clean it up
  • Have you thought about applying a primer first for durability

What paint should you use in your garden?

So you have prepped your surface, what now? It’s time to paint!

Wooden surfaces/decking- 100% acrylic water-based paint to give the evenest paint coverage

Doors- A high gloss finish for that extra pop

Metal outdoor surfaces- Oil-based exterior paint will be most effective in preventing rust.

Plant pots- Exterior water-based paints, using a small brush for precision

How to pick your colours

Gardens have slightly more free reign than interior spaces. Using bright colours can give your outdoor space that extra pop in time for the warm weather.

We offer a Bespoke Paint service, for water-based paints only. A lot of outdoor paints are oil-based, which we unfortunately can’t mix, as our pigment.

You can nab yourself 2.5L of Bespoke paint for just £11, rather than £52 from Farrow & Ball.

Whilst 5L of Seagulls bespoke paint stands at £16.50, rather than £89 at Farrow & Ball.

If you are swaying towards an oil-based paint, then we most likely have what you are looking for on our shelves, just nip in and find your match!

We can mix any colour you want

What you will need

We sell everything you need, not just paint! Here are some things you can pick up at Seagulls

  • 4″ Masonry brush £5
  • 4″ Shed brush £5
  • 9″ Harris Roller with 4 heads £9.50
  • 10pk solvent roller heads £12.99
  • Ready Mixed Filler 1.4kg £4
  • Scraper £2.50
Our paint supplies can be found behind the till

We can’t wait to see you all!

Have an inside look into our Online Shop

Seagulls aren’t just on Kirkstall road, you can also treat yourself on our Online Shop.

You can find almost anything (that may be a slight exaggeration), but you would be silly to not check it out.

Merch

We have a variety of different T-shirts for sale at the moment. Our newest addition is the ‘Respect the Difference’ Tees, designed by our good friends over at Secret Industries. We screen-print all of our T-shirts in the house!

You can buy the T-shirts here.

Our Green ‘Respect the Difference’ T-shirt designed by Secret Industries

Made By

We have recently swayed away from Seagulls Lifehouse, a name that we stuck by for many years. Lifehouse was a place where people can gain new life skills via our workshops.

We found many people becoming confused as to what Lifehouse meant, eventually deciding to change our name to Seagulls Workshops.

Within Seagulls Workshops, we host Silversmith, Coppersmith, Upcycling and Decorating workshops. Leon also makes all of the beautiful items listed on the ‘Made By’ section of our Online Shop.

As well as T-shirts, you can also find handmade items on our site, all made from recycled materials.

A best seller is the Shirley Shelf.

The shelf is plain with the intention of painting, waxing or varnishing the shelf to your requirements.

The shirley shelf is a best seller on our online shop.
Our Shirley Shelf is decorated with a ‘Spread the Love’ print

Another favourite is the Beauty from the Floods prints.

Our ‘Beauty from the Floods’ B2 Print

In 2015, we suffered massively when Seagulls was submerged in water due to the Boxing Day floods.

The river water left devastation, chaos and a thick layer of mud. The only silver lining from this climate change emergency were the beautiful images we were able to capture, and a visit from Jeremy Corbyn himself.

Seagulls worked in collaboration with the renowned screen printer Jonny Akers to produce this beautiful hand-pulled full-colour print of our Beauty from the Floods artwork.

Mosaic

Mosaics are a customer favourite.

We have an on-site mosaic studio at the back of the yard. In the studio, you will find Ben making up all the mosaic kits that you can purchase here.

You can buy a variety of different mosaic kits instore and on our online shop.
One of the lovely mosaics that you can purchase to make yourself.

There is a variety of seasonal kits, such as Halloween and Christmas themes. You can even spruce up your front door by purchasing our ‘House Number Mosaic kit’. It is really simple! Just purchase online, stating what number and colours are needed before it is delivered to you.

Paint

If you feel like ordering paint from the comfort of your own home (especially in this weather), you can place orders via our online shop here.

Once we receive your online orders, we simply call you if we need anything clarifying. When the paint is ready we call again to let you know it’s ready for collection.

We don’t offer nationwide deliveries, but we do hold a Leeds-based delivery service Monday to Friday.

A variety of paint colour mixed by our staff instore.
A variety of colours mixed by us.

Our site can also guide you on how to donate paint at the landfills in and around Leeds, that way your paint can get to us safely.

The UK’s waste paint crisis

Our paint collection points at recycling centres

The UK is in a waste paint crisis, drowning in leftover and unwanted paint. Yorkshire alone has 4.5 million litres of leftover paint, this is enough paint to cover the Tees Transporter in Middlesbrough 229 times. It is even enough paint to cover the footprint of Barnsley twice with some to spare.

So, what’s the solution to the paint crisis?

Seagulls has been part of the solution for nearly 20 years, helping to divert over 3 million litres away from landfill and reprocessed it for sale in our paint store  

The Paint Store

What’s happening across the rest of the UK?

Firstly, Seagulls are unique, really making traction in the world of paint. There is no one else like us! Opportunities for recycling paint are patchy across the country. There is a scheme called Community RePaint that may operate in your area. However, you may need to check their site too see what they accept, as it is often limited to newer tins of paint.

However, all is not lost. People in high places have began to talk about what happens to leftover paint, which will work to fight the paint crisis. In spring 2021 the Royal Society of Chemists approached Seagulls, keen to understand what we do. The outcome being that they asked Seagulls to be their case study for a national campaign.

Why is a campaign needed?

According to research by the Royal Society of Chemistry, ‘Lockdown-inspired decorating has led UK households to stockpile enough paint to coat the Forth Rail Bridge 212 times.’ In partnership with celebrity decorator, interiors stylist and DIY queen Linda Barker, the Royal Society of Chemistry is calling for government action as it launches an industry task force to make DIY more sustainable, with Leeds-based reuse and recycling initiative Seagulls Reuse a perfect example of how paint could be recycled across the UK.’

Linda Barker with some of our team!

Facts & Figures

To put this amount of paint into context, the Royal Society of Chemistry has crunched some numbers, equating the amount of leftover paint to landmarks throughout the UK. It makes for some interesting reading.

North East

2 million litres of leftover paint, enough to cover the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle 170 times.

North West

5.5 million litres of leftover paint, enough to cover the Silver Jubilee Bridge in Runcorn 194 times.

East Midlands

3.5 million litres of leftover paint, enough to cover the entire footprint of the city of Lincoln.

West Midlands

4.5 million litres of leftover paint, enough to cover Sutton Park, Birmingham over 5 times or paint an area the size of the Bullring shopping centre 469 times.

East of England 

5 million litres of leftover paint, enough to cover the footprint of the city of Cambridge 1 and a half times.

London

5 million litres of leftover paint, enough to cover Tower Bridge over 229 times.

South East

7 million litres of leftover paint, enough to cover the footprint of the city of Brighton.

South West

5 million litres of leftover paint, enough to cover the footprint of the city of Bath nearly twice.

Wales

2.5 million litres of leftover paint, enough to cover the Menai suspension bridge in Anglesey over 508 times.

Scotland

5 million litres of leftover paint, enough to cover Forth Rail Bridge 20 times.

Northern Ireland

1.5 million litres of leftover paint, enough to cover Rathlin Island, off the coast of Ballycastle, with some to spare or paint the Giant’s Causeway over 22 times.

You can read more about the Royal Society of Chemists campaign and if you don’t have a scheme in your area you should write to your local MP and ask them for one! Details can be found here

Staff and volunteers collect paint from a household waste site.

If you live in Leeds you can donate paint by taking it to your local household waste site. Find out where your nearest site is by clicking here

You can also sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date with the campaign, our news and for special offers

Is your old paint killing the environment?

Is your old paint killing your local environment, even though you took it to your local waste site? 98% of waste paint currently ends up in landfills or is burnt, causing unnecessary harm to the environment. Paint being chucked into landfills can make its way to rivers and the sea, causing massive harm to wildlife.

This valuable resource is causing harm when it could potentially find a new life on somebody else’s walls. Seagulls have been tackling the problem of waste paint head-on, for nearly 20 years.

Pre Covid, Seagulls collected 400 tonnes of paint per year. This number has dipped slightly since the pandemic but we are hopeful it will increase again.

I want to help the environment, where can I donate my paint?

If you live in Leeds, it’s easy to donate, there are Seagulls paint banks on every household waste site in Leeds.

https://www.leeds.gov.uk/residents/bins-and-recycling/recycling-sites

Rob emptying one of our paint banks.

We kindly ask people to drop their unwanted paint at their local waste site and NOT Seagulls. This is for 2 reasons:

  1. Avoids fly tipping in our yard
  2. The paint collected from waste sites gets weighed and recorded. Most importantly, Leeds City Council pay for the amount of paint collected.

What paint can be reused and how can I tell?

Any tin that has more than a couple of inches left in the pot and has NOT gone off can be reused. You will know if the paint has gone bad because it will either be solid or smell like rotten eggs! We reprocess good and bad paint so don’t worry too much about the quality as we will safely dispose or recycle any paint that we cannot reuse.

Solid paint and empty paint tins can be put in your general household bin.

We accept household emulsion, masonry paint, timber care, gloss, varnish, eggshell and undercoat.

But what if I don’t live in Leeds?

It’s possible your local authority has a community RePaint scheme, you can find out here.

If not, then lobby your local Councillors and MP to ask why there are no paint reuse facilities in your area.

For years there has been a ‘postcode lottery’ for paint recycling, the facilities for which differ between local authorities, with 98% of waste paint currently being burnt or sent to landfill. But the Royal Society of Chemistry is now calling for UK governments to provide better support to local reuse and recycling initiatives.

Whilst the companies behind paint brands Dulux, Farrow and Ball, Johnstone’s Paints and Ronseal are calling for government engagement with the British Coatings Federation’s PaintCare blueprint for a national remanufacturing programme.

The Royal Society of Chemistry is calling for:

Government and local authorities to provide more support to paint recycling and reuse initiatives, such as Seagulls Reuse and the BCF’s PaintCare programme, making it easier for consumers to recycle paints no matter where they live

Government to directly invest in research programmes for sustainable alternatives for PLFs

Consumers to reduce wastage of paints by buying only what they need

Consumers to write to their MP asking for change – further details can be found here.

Why are 25 000 people flying from 197 countries into Glasgow for COP26?

It’s the COP26 Climate Change event from Sun 31st October to Fri 12th November.

Global heating is driving some alarming changes in climate.  It creates much more unpredictable and catastrophic events, like droughts, floods, bushfires and hurricanes.  Seagulls and many other Yorkshire businesses and homes flooded badly in 2015.  It’s always happened but is now more frequent and happens with more severity.

A warming planet also means the movement of greater numbers of displaced people around the globe, as well as more diseases jumping to humans or spreading from warmer parts of the World. 

A good reason to get all the experts and politicians together to sort out a Plan of Action, right?

A run through the history

COP26 in Glasgow is the latest in over 25 years of United Nations-led talks about climate change.  Some have been more important in getting countries to commit to cutting emissions. You may have heard of the Kyoto Protocol from 1997 and the Paris Agreement drafted in 2015 – both COPs.  Unfortunately, promises aren’t always enough to get the changes we all need.

For decades, scientists have been gathering huge amounts of information about what we’re doing. They have looked at the effects and projected what’s likely to be in store. 

Specialists, who will be at COP26, are in agreement.

Warning that these climate changes are directly linked to the fossil fuels we burn. And other gases, such as methane and nitrous oxide, which we’re causing to be released into the atmosphere. 

What could never be argued? The scientific basis of global heating, pumping certain gases into the air will trap more energy in the Earth’s systems; more energy means the land, seas and atmosphere will all behave differently; the effects will go on for centuries, even if all the pollution is stopped tomorrow.

What is harder to predict? This is how it will all pan out for people living, and other living things on the planet.  The world is beginning to experience the results. The results are pretty close to the predictions, with only a 1.1OC change since 1880. 

No problem for the worlds brightest minds gathering at COP, eh?

As well as being fiendishly complicated to get 200 different countries to agree across the huge range of actions needed, there have been some key barriers over the years…

  • Disagreement about how the World’s economy runs, in a nutshell we’re wedded to –
  • growth at all costs, consuming our way to happiness, competition is everything and winners take it all
  • Science shines a spotlight but can’t lead us out of the mire – that’s up to politicians
  • Big money in drilling and burning exerts huge political power

Progress has been made, but it always seems the best intentions and plans are watered down for those with the most to lose from positive progress.

Where is the real drama going to happen in Glasgow?

It depends whether you prefer to follow the high-level discussions and national declarations in the ‘Blue Zone’ or the networking, creative expression and campaigning in the ‘Green Zone’.  In reality, they may both be eclipsed by some high-profile activism happening around the city.  Success in each of these three spheres is essential to get out of this disastrous rut.

Surely there’s some cause for hope!?

Of course! But hope will probably lie away from the big hitters at COP26:

  • An international youth movement is turning away strongly from ‘Business as usual’
  • Local and regional governments, especially in cities round the world have worked more imaginatively and with more urgency to cut carbon than national governments
  • The call for ‘Building Back Better’ after Covid, which is strong and includes some great low carbon solutions, has lots of backers
  • The understanding and expertise about what we’ve got in store is growing all the time
  • Even ‘Big Money’ – insurance and financial investment companies – are moving away from dirty businesses as they’re too risky

Things are heating up in our Workshops

We have some great courses and workshops now listed on Eventbrite.

Whether you’re keen to learn how to decorate, work with metal or learn to Mosaic we have a range of short workshops and longer courses listed throughout July, August and September. Even with the lifting of restrictions we have decided to keep our workshop/ course sizes small for covid safety.

Why not try your hand at Coppersmithing; either book onto a taster session or delve straight into our 2-day course. We had some great feedback from when we ran the course last month:

‘I enjoyed creating something from initial conception/ idea to final product’

‘I loved the freedom to make my own design’

Decorating Courses

We have taken the feedback from our decorating courses and have adapted the workshops, and we’re offering the following:

  • Beginners guide to painting & decorating
  • Cutting in Masterclass
  • Ceilings and Walls; an in-depth masterclass

And will soon be listing specific doors and woodwork courses and tips and tricks.

Mosaic courses are now listed up until November

We are yet to find a way to make children’s mosaic courses cost-effective, watch this space!

Other courses

Keep checking our social media as new courses are being added all the time. We are hoping to list a range of print workshops from August but in the meantime, we sell lino kits so you can get creative at home.

Lino Kits

Staying safe: the serving hatch

Q) How can we keep our team safe and sell paint? 

A) A click and collect service.

Our serving hatch was one of the better things to have come out of last year. It was a fun way to keep staff and customers safe, in the days when it was click and collect only.

The hatch was the brainchild of Leon (Seagulls LifeHouse). He made it all from recycled materials (apart from the wheels and Perspex).

The serving hatch has been a great talking point and has the novelty factor. Leon says it was fun to build and it has been fun to use in lockdown times and has meant we have been able to trade.

Most recently the hatch was been adapted into a bar for our open studio event and we hope it well get good use at this summer’s markets.

Have you got a slightly ‘whacky’ project, if so then get in touch!

@seagullslifehouse

Why Big Business Should Work With Us

Throughout the past decade, the world of business has seen a dramatic shift in the way corporations tackle certain key challenges.

From Ocado’s waste management strategy – something that has seen the retailer’s food wastage levels fall below 0.02% – to Bridgestone’s pledge to recycle one tyre for each tyre sold, it’s great to see so many large corporations taking positive action in a bid to improve the planet for good.

 Here at Seagulls Reuse we endorse the actions of these companies wholeheartedly but appreciate that there may still be some way to go, especially in the UK.

 For every corporation going out of its way to build a better brighter future, there remains a considerable number that refuse to change. For us this represents one of our greatest challenges as a company – encouraging more and more corporations to adopt a new way of thinking, to help secure a better world for future generations.

 Whether you work at a large corporation or even a small local business, making a small change can often have a lasting impact. That’s why we’ve created this short blog, detailing just a number of reasons why we believe working with Seagulls Reuse can help to improve not just your business’ image, but the impact it has on the planet as a whole.

We Grow People

Before we talk about money and how using recycled paint can help to increase profits, we first need to discuss the most prized asset of all – our people.

Here at Seagulls Reuse we grow people, helping to transform the lives of those affected by poverty, mental health issues and other barriers to employment through good, old-fashioned graft.

Working with volunteers, we work hard to ensure that those with even the most challenging of CVs have a platform on which they can build their future. We restore people’s confidence, pride and self-worth, which in turn helps to transform their career prospects moving forward.

By working with us, you’ll be enabling us to take on even more volunteers. Not only will this help to improve the lives of those we work with, but the communities they rely on too.

As our reputation grows, we want people to grow with us too – and that includes you.

Use Seagulls, save money

We get it, money talks. Which is precisely why corporations love working with us!

At Seagulls Reuse we supply 170 tonnes of recycled and collected paint each and every year – all of which is sold at a fraction of the cost compared to other, traditional paint shops. For corporations, this is great news – especially if you happen to work in the manufacturing trade, construction or even retail.

Whether you’re decorating your office block or developing a new housing estate, if you need paint at a discounted rate, contact Seagulls Reuse today and help to increase those all-important profit margins.

Take responsibility

Rising sea levels. Turbulent weather conditions. Famine and poverty. Since the industrial revolution, the impact that big business has had on the environment has been truly devastating – which is perhaps why so many corporations across the globe are now starting to take responsibility when it comes to looking after the planet.

By working with Seagulls Reuse, following in the footsteps of Ocado and Bridgestone has never been easier. Not only will working with us help to reduce the amount of paint that’s currently wasted throughout the industry, it will also help to reduce the crippling levels of CO2 it takes to manufacture it too.

In turn we believe that this will help our global community turn the tide of global warming, enabling us to create a better world for future generations, as well as the businesses destined to operate within it.

Our mission

Seagulls is an environmental social enterprise. We run our business with the 3 P’s in mind: Planet, People, Profit. We love the environment and will go out of our way to protect it. That’s why we started creating these blogs in the first place, and why we won’t stop until we start to see clear signs of the positive change we’re constantly campaigning for.

By sharing this article you’ll be helping to share our company’s ethos with the UK’s most influential CEOs – encouraging them to choose a responsible supplier for their company in the future.

We Grow People

Seagulls is a unique place to work. We pick people up and support them in playing a positive role within the community whilst providing tangible benefits to the environment. People are the heart and sole of Seagulls. This blog reflects on the work we do and the people we work with.

Seagulls was established and developed on a voluntary basis by Cat and Kate. Neither of us had prior business or project development experience so we quickly learned to ask for help and this approach to business has been inspiring for staff and volunteers (if we can do it, so can you!). Seagulls has grown organically with our feet firmly within the Leeds community we aim to support. Our grassroots beginnings have meant we are well placed to deliver services that respond to local need.

Historically we have always developed a volunteer’s skills and confidence so that they are working towards being employment ready and 90% of our staff team have volunteered for the enterprise. Because the majority of our staff team have faced barriers to engagement in society and employment we are able to demonstrate a unique level of understanding and empathy with new recruits, making people feel at ease very quickly.

We call ourselves the last chance saloon; working with people who are often isolated and marginalised for many different reasons: mental health problems, learning disability, prisoners on ROTL, ex offenders, young people (NEETS) and long term unemployed. We offer support and volunteering opportunities for lost and vulnerable people. It’s no exaggeration to say that people walk into Seagulls and almost instantly feel at ease and supported. We foster a friendly and holistic work place that enables us to reach some of the most damaged and vulnerable people in society. We meaningfully support people who are excluded and are facing very real barriers to engagement so that they begin to feel valued, brighter and more confident both in work and at home.

We have a long track record of working with people and our volunteer programme ‘We Grow People’ has been developed out of our own experiences as volunteers and those of our employees that we have worked with over the years. We now specialise in working with the people mentioned above, recognising that many of the people who come through our doors lead often chaotic lifestyles and live in poverty. They may also have never had a job, lack basic skills and confidence and are anxious around people. We work with people well before they are employment ready and our holistic programme looks at helping breakdown barriers and building people from the bottom up.

We believe Maslow’s Theory of Hierarchy is very important and help volunteers on a practical level so that they are able to engage meaningfully when volunteering.We recognise people as individuals and not just a box ticking exercise, we aim to change behaviour over an unspecified period of time, giving people the space to grow at their own pace.

Rick, one of our volunteers sums up his experience at Seagulls very succinctly:

“Come and spend a day at Seagulls, it’s dirty work BUT it is sooooo rewarding. Seagulls REALLY do GROW PEOPLE. I knew nothing about the world of re- used paint when I started volunteering. I’m learning loads, my confidence is going up and the “team” are just awesome!! Everyday we reduce the amount of paint that would otherwise be wasted and recycle it…Fantastic place!”

It’s statements like this that make our work worthwhile.

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