Young people at risk transform discarded rafters into wooden furniture and interiors
Both hands and heads get to work when the young people at the social economic company HUMAN Results transform discarded rafters and recycled wood from the rafter manufacturer Palsgaard Spær into everything from indoor interiors and garden furniture to large, robust shelters. According to the managing director and owner of HUMAN Results, the initiative enables the individual young person to establish a connection to working life and gain a strong community away from crime, abuse and vulnerability.
According to Statistics Denmark, the younger age groups are most often convicted of violating the penal code. More specifically, it is the 15-24-year-olds who are sentenced most for crime in Denmark. But the social economy company HUMAN Results in Silkeborg will help change that trend.
The company specializes in helping vulnerable young people, who for one reason or another are outside the general community, aged 15-30. This happens, among other things, through the initiative Woods by HUMAN Results, which is a workshop department where the young people work with recycled wood, which the rafter manufacturer Palsgaard Spær donates, in order to have a stable everyday life with meaning.
“We offer clarification and upskilling courses for exposed and vulnerable young people who have long prospects of being able to manage a regular job or complete an education. We work with a focus on employment, work identity and social communities, and here woodcraft is a really strong subject, as a concrete product comes out of the work, and because both hands and head must be used to design the products. It is of great value to us that a company like Palsgaard Spær will help support our cause by donating the materials, so that the young people have something to work with,” says Carina Fisker, CEO and owner of HUMAN Results.
At Palsgaard Spær, we are also happy about the collaboration with HUMAN Results, and we hope to be able to inspire young people to eventually look towards the craft professions:
“We are very happy to be able to support the good cause and help the young people get back on track, so that they can eventually get an education, get a job and a stable life. We generally lack young people in the construction industry, so if we can help inspire just a few of the young people to apply for the trades, it is worth its weight in gold. We are also happy to stand up if some of the young people want to try their hand at working life with us,” says production manager at Palsgaard Spær, Per Nielsen.
Get an insight into the production
As part of the collaboration with HUMAN Results, Palsgaard Spær sorts out all the wood that they do not use themselves, such as wood of incorrect lengths or with small defects. But instead of throwing it away or turning it into sawdust, the young people from HUMAN Results collect the wood, after which they transform it into interiors, shelters, office and outdoor furniture.
“At Palsgaard Spær, we have more than 100 years of experience with wood, and it means a lot to us that we can help pass on the good properties of wood to HUMAN Results. The young people come by at regular intervals to pick up our recycled wood, which we continuously collect. In this way, they get an insight into our production and company, while the discarded wood and scraps are used for a new and good purpose. They are certainly good at making wooden furniture, and we intend for the young people to help us make new tables and chairs for our canteen,” says Per Nielsen.
The furniture that the young people make is sold to both private individuals and companies. The money goes to operating the workshop.
The picture shows some of the young people from Human Results.
