Help make a house a home with the Furniture Project
Posted on: Monday, June 10, 2024Help make a house a home for those in need whilst helping create a greener future for Newark and Sherwood by donating your unwanted household items to the Furniture Project.
The Furniture Project, an inspiring initiative run by dedicated staff and volunteers since 1991, is making a difference to both residents and the planet by providing subsidised, good quality, second hand household items and furniture to individuals and families in need.
The Project sources items for donations from local residents, community groups and businesses. They collect the donated items for free, and then subsidised items are redistributed to those in need, from low-income families and those facing hardship, to those recovering from fire or flood damage to their home.
By extending the life cycle of furniture and household goods, such as sofas, washing machines, crockery and TVs, the organisation is also helping play a crucial role in reducing the number of these items that end up in landfill once they are disposed of, and helping create a more sustainable future for Nottinghamshire by re-using and recycling!
Between April 2023 and March 2024 12,871 donated items were collected. This meant 10,297 households were helped and over £1 million made in household savings, according to the Reuse Network Impact calculator. It also showed that almost 500,000 kg of CO2 has been saved through the project, which is the equivalent of over 243,000 litres of gasoline consumption! *
Newark and Sherwood District Council’s support of the project began in 1992 when, at the time, it leased a unit to the project in Boughton. This original unit is still the headquarters for the organisation, along with a further two units on the estate. The District Council and the project also work together on the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme.
Newark and Sherwood District Council’s support of the Furniture Project underscores its broader commitment to improve community welfare and wellbeing and protecting the environment through sustainable behaviour, which includes its involvement in this year’s Great Big Green Week campaign.
Matthew Finch, Director of Communities and Environment at Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “As part of our support of Great Big Green Week 2024 we are taking the week to look at the changes we can all make to be more sustainable, and not only does The Furniture Project mission help better the lives of those in need, providing the home that everyone deserves, it also does vital work to reduce waste and support our environment. The project is a fantastic example of a sustainable change we can all make that we might not have considered before, which is what Great Big Green Week is all about!”
“We are very proud to support such a remarkable organisation, and I encourage anyone holding onto furniture or household items that you no longer need to please consider donating them to a home that needs them through the Furniture Project!”
In order to keep the price of the subsidised household items and furniture low the project generates its own income by selling surplus stock to the public through their shop on Forest Road and from the warehouse on Boughton Industrial Estate.
Find out more about the Furniture Project, including how to get a referral or donate, on their website: https://www.thefurnitureproject.net/