Posted: 19th November 2024
From the back streets of Burley
As Seagulls enters its twentieth year as a Limited Company it seems like a good time to reflect on our achievements and to remember just how far we have come. During our twentieth year I hope to write several reflective blogs that tell our story. To start here is a whistle stop timeline from the beginning to present day.
From small acorns…
Seagulls began with a seed of an idea by me, Cat. I had finished university, had made a vow to myself never to work in an office and was wondering what to do with my life. I wanted a worthwhile career. I started volunteering for a local project called – Hyde Park Source, painting bin yards in Hyde Park and Burley. I was inspired by the projects work and with the help of Joy (project coordinator) I started to discuss my idea. I wanted to start a voluntary organisation raising environmental awareness and providing jobs for myself and others. With Joy’s help I found like minded souls and together we bonded over the climate disaster and social justice.
From a kitchen table in Burley we developed and grew the idea of Seagulls. We started talking to people about environmental awareness and held the belief that one person’s rubbish is another’s gold. We wanted to make money from waste so we could provide volunteering, training and job opportunities for local people furthest from employment. We didn’t want to be reliant on grant funding. We chose a social enterprise structure.
To a damp cellar
In early 2004 we moved into Vicarage View, a small office with a damp cellar. Very few (if any) photos exist from this period. This was before we had mobile phones.
(Last month we were alerted that our original signs has been uncovered, the same week our new sign went up!)
Through many conversations with Leeds City Council waste team we hit upon the idea of collecting unwanted household paint. There had previously been a scheme in Leeds but it had failed. We convinced LCC that this would be a good unwanted material for us to see if we could collect and reuse.
Becoming a limited company
On 31st October 2004 we became a Limited Company
In January 2005 we started collecting paint from Pudsey household waste site. We didn’t have a van but we did have my car, a red polo. We put the seats down, covered the car in a tarp and started collecting paint (we would never get away with this now). We brought the paint back to our cellar and started giving it away.
19 years at Aire Place
In the summer of 2005 we secured Lottery Funding for 3 years and in September 2005 we moved into Aire Place Mills- our home for the next 19 years.
There is so much to talk about in our 19 years at Aire Place, the development of our successful paint collection service and paint shop, the volunteers and staff members who have been on our journey, from the Boxing Day floods, weathering Covid, running a decorating service, a refills shop, gallery space, mosaic project, creative markets and a workshop. We have never been afraid to try new revenue streams (and stop them if they haven’t worked) and adapt as opportunities have arisen.
Here’s a few pics to give you a flavour of the above (and expect several more blog posts about the above!)
Pop up room in our office. We used to paint and style this space in our office on a regular basis.
The paint store in the early days.
Our Refill shop
Decorating workshops with Care Leavers (and Linda Barker)
Our core values
Through all the years of experimentation and development we have always stayed true to our core values: Planet People Profit and you guessed it PAINT.
Paint is our vehicle that enables all our good work to happen, it is our life source, bringing in opportunities and money for the organisation to grow and flourish.
In December 2023 we were told that our Landlord was selling up and we would need to find a new home. We started looking straight after Christmas and quickly found our new home- 129 Water Lane.
…large oak trees grow
Water Lane is a whooping 33,000 sq ft, that’s twice the size of Aire Place. After a lot of hard graft we opened the new paint store in June and in September we handed back the keys to Aire Place Mills. Our next chapter has begun and although we are tired we are excited for the years ahead.
It’s never a dull moment in Seagulls, everyday is different and although not always easy we can always find fun. The oak tree just got a whole lot bigger!
Donate to make a difference over the next 20 years
Donations help us carry on the valuable work we do and we appreciate any amount that you’re able to give. If you’d like to support us in another way, come roll up your sleeves and consider volunteering.