Ellesmere Port & Neston
Project: St Vincent de Paul Society Furniture Re-Cycling
Grant awarded: £21,000
Date: June 2007 – June 2010
About
The aims of the project are:
- To collect and re-cycle quality used furniture
- To supply low-cost furniture to people in need
- To supply, free of charge, furniture to people who have no furniture and who have been referred to the Society though Ellesmere Port Housing and Social Services.
The Society was able to purchase, run and maintain a new furniture van with help from funding from the Fair Share Trust. The van is driven by volunteers. Furniture is collected from people living in Ellesmere Port and taken back to the depot, where it is checked and cleaned. The checking, sometimes repairing, and cleaning is done by volunteers. After cleaning, the furniture is taken in the van to one of two local shops, to be sold at affordable prices. The shops are run by a dedicated band of volunteers from the Society.
Over the last year the Society has been able to furnish 75 premises for families or single people who have been referred to the Society from Ellesmere Port Housing, Social Services or any of the Churches in Ellesmere Port. It is estimated that over 3,000 people used the shops to buy quality furniture over the last year.
The van is used 5 days per week and people in Ellesmere Port see it regularly running round the Ellesmere Port area.
The provision of good quality furniture to needy families at a price they can afford allows families to obtain basic furniture, such as a bed, table and chairs, cooker, and helps to maintain the stability of the families. The homes of low income families, recently released offenders or homeless youngsters that are referred by the Social Services are furnished for free. This gives them a good start so that they are able to fit more easily into the community.
Back to top