CycleUp

CycleUp trains individuals and groups in the repair and reuse of materials and produces upcycled items for sale as part of the circular economy. By upcycling waste and unwanted textiles through its training and social enterprise, CycleUp raises awareness of the Circular Economy, as well as educates and empowers women to generate flexible employment opportunities while protecting the environment in a rural context. CycleUp produces giftware, fashion and homeware products through it's cycleup.ie online store, our retail partners and at markets around the country. We also take commissions from organisations to produce environmentally friendly items such as souvenirs, aprons and bags. Previous Clients include AONTAS, The International Marine Conservation Conference, Roscommon County Council, The Courtyard Market in Boyle, Willow Outdoor Playschool, Kilmovee Heritage Centre, Kepak Athleague and Sofa Source. Our trained upcycling tutors design and deliver practical, informative and fun Upcycling Textiles Workshops for Community groups, Workplaces and Schools where participants learn to make a simple but useful item from unwanted textiles in an informal social setting while learning about what can be done to reduce the impact of textile waste on the environment. This environmental training social enterprise progressed from the success of the Roscommon Women’s Network (RWN) Textile Upcycling Pilot Project in 2019 which was co-funded by the LA21 LAPN and Dept. Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Patagonia and with support from Galway Roscommon Education and Training Board (GRETB), The Roscommon Environmental Network and the Rediscovery Centre. Following on from the evaluation and results of the pilot project, RWN secured funding from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Green Enterprise initiative for the WECAN project for 2021. Since 2022 the social enterprise has developed further thanks to funding from Rethink Ireland and The Ireland Funds.