The Lanarkshire Furniture Initiative (LFI) has been given 93,539 by Biffaward, administered by the Royal Society for Nature Conservation.
The LFI was set up as a one-year pilot project based around a charity shop collecting unwanted household items for redistribution to disadvantaged families in Lanarkshire. This trial demonstrated an “overwhelming” demand for the service, and the Biffaward grant is expected to help an additional 400 families each month by providing a second collection vehicle for the scheme.
Commenting on the award, LFI development manager Joan Smallwood said: “We are thrilled with the award from Biffaward, which will enable us to increase our capacity and effectiveness. We will be able to help more needy people and divert more useful items from landfill sites.”
The LFI works with various training and employment organisations for the long-tern unemployed, offenders, ex-offenders and young people at risk, providing training and opportunities to integrate into the community.
Martin Bettington, chairman of Biffaward, said: “The Lanarkshire Furniture Initiative is another excellent example of furniture re-use schemes in practice. These sort of schemes show how much household items can be diverted from landfill and put to good use. The LFI takes the scheme one step further by providing training to help ex-offenders integrate with the community.”
Under Landfill Tax rules, 10% of the grant comes from an outside source, and the LFI has gained a 9,354 contribution from the Christian Outreach Centre.
- The Community Recycling Network for Scotland (CRNS) is to stage a conference in August aimed at raising the profile of furniture projects in Scotland. The Furnishing the Future event will take place on the 21st and 22nd August in the Parish Halls in Glasgow. For more information, phone Scottish furniture projects coordinator Linsay Chalmers on 0131 226 6666.
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