The project is being shaped directly by NIRN members, who are the experts in this field. Our members are already delivering reuse and repair activity in their own communities and understand the practical challenges, opportunities, and support needed to make it work on the ground.
A series of member focus groups are bringing this expertise together to co-design what effective training and community engagement should look like for those that have not yet engaged with the circular economy. This peer-led approach ensures the pilot is rooted in real experience rather than theory.
Over the next couple of months, NIRN members will deliver pilot training alongside ongoing mentoring support. This peer-to-peer learning sits at the heart of the Circular Communities pilot. By sharing knowledge, skills, and lived experience, members can support other communities to build confidence, develop practical solutions, and establish their own reuse and repair activities more quickly and sustainably. Ultimately, the project aims to normalise reuse and repair as a part of everyday life across Northern Ireland, supported by strong community networks and shared expertise.
