This campaign has now closed
What would you do if your cooker broke down? Pop down to Argos or Comet and replace it? Some people don’t have the means to do this and have to go without..... unless they’ve heard about us. With the help of our 117 volunteers, we run 3 furniture projects In West Berkshire and Hampshire. We provide the simple link between people disposing of goods and those in desperate need of the same goods. We supply essential items such as cookers, beds and sofas to local people in need, helping them to prevent cycles of debt and make long term changes to their quality of life. We also offer both accredited and informal training to our volunteers, providing a safe place, particularly for those at a disadvantage, to build their confidence and skills.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
We offer everything needed to furnish a home – from a cooker or a settee, to crockery and books and toys for children. We collect in donated goods, repair or reupholster furniture where necessary, safety test and repair electrical goods against a nationally approved standard, display a wide range of good quality items and deliver them when required. We also offer accredited training in practical skills such as furniture repair and woodwork to our volunteers, over half of whom have mental and / or physical disabilities, or mental health problems. During our last financial year we had 28,546 visits to our warehouses, and supplied people with over 35,000 items – an increase of 17% on the previous year. Our 4 vans made 7,860 collections and 2,367 deliveries, and we safety tested 5,326 electrical goods – including everything from irons to washing machines. We are seeking funding to enable us to maintain our ongoing essential services, and ensure we can continue to offer support on which no financial value can be placed – an urgent late night delivery to make sure children have a bed to sleep on for the weekend, helping a vulnerable elderly customer to assemble furniture, or just offering a sympathetic ear and a welcoming face.