Ex-police officers turn to crafts at repair shop

Retired police officer Stephen Tarn said it was an "ideal" way to put his craft skills to good use

Two retired police officers have swapped fighting crime for fighting waste by giving unwanted items a new lease of life.

Stephen Tarn and Sarah Wintringham are volunteers at the Ryedale Remakes upcycling workshop in Malton.

Just like in the popular BBC series The Repair Shop, the self-taught recyclers transform everything from old furniture to yarns of wool that might otherwise end up in landfill.

They also run workshops for people with vision problems, the elderly and those struggling with their mental health, which Ms Wintringham said was "very rewarding".

Mr Tarn and Ms Wintringham were the first volunteers at Ryedale Remakes, a project which started in 2023 as part of community collaboration initiative Circular Malton and Norton CIC.

In a year, they said they had saved 540 items that would otherwise have been thrown away by turning them into products that can be sold in their shop to raise funds for the non-profit organisation.

Ryedale Remakes runs accessible upcycling workshops in Malton

They regularly run accessible upcycling workshops with members of Sight Support, youth groups, carers and support groups, and visit care homes.

Workshop coordinator Mr Tarn said: "I saw an advert on Facebook and it fit with the things I like doing like woodworking and crafts, so it was ideal really."

The former police officer said he was inspired to continue working in the community by reducing waste, "either doing it ourselves by upcycling stuff or passing on the skills and knowledge to other people as well in an inclusive way".

Items upcycled in the project are often donated by the public and can include everything from furniture and fabrics to wool and glass jars.

A few adaptations and a little touch of TLC and these items then be sold in the Ryedale Remakes Shop.

Mr Tarn and Ms Wintringham also offer workshops to help people upcycle their own items that they do not want to throw away but that are in need of repair or a refresh.

Sarah Wintringham with Ann Ruddick from Ryedale Sight Support, who uses discarded wool to knit hats for premature babies

Ms Wintringham said: “We’ve got people making bird boxes, coasters, planters, all sorts of things and it’s all from items that would have been going to the tip.

“I go out to Rivermead Care Home in Norton.

"We have a knit and natter session where we have a lady at 97.

"I am absolutely enjoying picking up the knitting needles again and being able to be creative and just being able to chat to the old folk, it’s very rewarding.”

Ann Ruddick, a trustee at Ryedale Sight Support, has been using discarded wool to knit hats for the premature baby unit at the local hospital.

She said: “I think it’s the opportunity to have a go at doing something because when you have sight loss people want the opportunity to do something different that they haven’t tried before."

Mr Tarn and Ms Wintringham are finalists in the green award category of BBC Radio York's Make a Difference Awards.

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