About Magazine Issue 28 - Summer 2005

Recycled Furniture

The Hastings Furniture Service is now set to refurbish and extend its town centre premises and services.

The local charity, Hastings Furniture Service, has operated from various sites across the town since the early 1980s.  It is now bursting at its seams in Dorset Place and is in desperate need of renovation.  Thanks to a pledge of £150,000 from the Hastings Regeneration Partnership, the £500,000 building works can now goahead and the service will have more showroom space.  The hunt is on for temporary accommodation in Central St Leonards or Hastings so works can start in December.

The Partnership is keen to fund the furniture service as it:

1. Provides invaluable supervised volunteering work experience,
2. Reuses unwanted bulky items,
3. Provides a good quality second hand wooden furniture store for the general public,
4. For those on benefits, it also provides all types of quality second hand furniture and properly tested electrical goods,
5. Gives an extra 30% reduction to those on low incomes, and
6. Provides free collection of quality furniture and very reasonable house clearances.

The service will also be able to build a training room and workshop, meaning that volunteers will be able to work towards getting an NVQ in Warehousing and Distribution and learn how to repair donated items.

The furniture service operates with 20- 25 volunteers at any one time, (10 on any one day), made up mostly of men of working age.  Some have been volunteering for years, some for a few months and some on short work experience for Government programmes: eg New Deal.  At present, volunteers are simply getting work experience and references, but the service wants to be able to guarantee a job interview for every person who completes an NVQ.

One man who volunteered at the service had mild learning difficulties.  He gained communication as well as reading and writing skills, improved his general appearance, got an NVQ and landed himself a job at a DIY store.  He is proof of the excellent service this project provides.

The Project Manager, says:

“After the grant funded expansion, the Hastings Furniture Service is looking to stand on its own two feet and not be so reliant on the whims and restrictions of large charity and government funding programmes.  Many of our volunteers have issues to deal with, be they mental health, drugs, offending, learning disabilities, or simply no qualifications.  With this new showroom and training space, we will be able to provide much more support to give local people’s lives and homes a boost.”

Mr Kitson, Volunteer, says:

“Instead of paying extortionate High Street prices, you’re getting a real bargain.  It’s top quality furniture at decent prices.  I’ve been volunteering here for a few months and I’ve been able to furnish my home.  Being on benefits, it leaves me money for all the other expenses in life.”

Back to top of page...

< Working Together - Creatively | Six New Projects get Go Ahead >