Along with other Rotary clubs in the east midlands of England, Novus is collecting empty aluminium cans to be melted down and the raw material used to create a helipad for air ambulance helicopters rushing critically-ill patients to hospital.
Currently, neither Leicester Royal Infirmary nor Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham have a helipad, which can help save lives by shaving minutes off journey times.
Big Red Bins with a can-crusher mounted on the side are located in an increasing number of public places. Each one costs £500.
Novus members receiving cans donated from friends, family and the public, crush them before they are taken to Oakham in Rutland, from where the founder of Helipads for Hospitals, John Nowell, takes them to Stocken Prison for processing.
Seizing the opportunity to save John a trip to Leicester, Novus member Jim Matthews took about 1,000 crushed cans to Oakham before visiting the Osprey Project at Rutland Water. He dropped them off at The King Centre business park where he was shown an electric can-crusher ideal for installing in offices, restaurants and cafes.
You can see how easy it is to operate by watching the video here (thanks to Keri and Emily for their help). Even with your volume turned up, you can hardly hear it.
Later, after their visit to Rutland Water, Novus member Sarita Shah and her sister Sonal, owner of The Pizza Parlour in Belgrave Gate, Leicester, gave Jim seven more bags containing probably about 100 more cans which Jim left for John Nowell to collect.
If you have aluminium cans you want to recycle, or if want to help Novus Rotary, please go to the ‘Contact us’ page at the top of this page and drop us a line.
