PEARLS turns one

We were chuffed to hear that PEARLS, a Rochdale co-operative which sells educational supplies and recycled craft materials, celebrated its first birthday this week. The co-operative, whose name stands for Play, Education, Arts and Reusable Lending Service, collects scrap materials and sells them to nurseries and schools. The organisation was transferred from council ownership to a workers' cooperative with support from The Enterprise Hub.

Speaking to Rochdale Online about the landmark occasion, Tina Wright, one of the directors at PEARLS, said:

"We’ve had a successful first year, which has seen us be able to work not only in Rochdale but across the whole of Greater Manchester too.

"We’ve been extremely grateful to the support we’ve received from our members and the businesses we’ve worked with."

You may have seen PEARLS around the Co-operative Enterprise Hub website. Indeed, we've featured the co-operative on our case studies section. You can also find pictures of the organisation on our Facebook page, while their website can be found at www.pearlscoop.co.uk.

In honour of this landmark occasion, PEARLS will be hosting a number of open evenings, offering a range of sessions for various educational workers. Teachers and youth workers are invited to attend on June 28, childminders and community groups on June 29 and nursery workers and other childcare providers on June 29. You can find out more information, or book tickets, by emailing info@pearlscoop.co.uk.

If you're based in the North West, we'd highly recommend paying a visit!