Funding pressure for capital&#39s furniture re-use groups

But the projects now face an uncertain future as funding sources dry up.

In the six months since the launch of the London Furniture Re-use Network, the capital's 16 re-use groups have already collected 28,000 items of furniture and electrical appliances. Collected furniture is provided at very low cost to disadvantaged homes.

However, to maintain the high levels of re-use the groups need more funding – particularly to employ more drivers and recruit volunteers to cope with donated items.

The London FRN said the future for funding was “particularly uncertain”, because the national lottery funding initiative CRED – the Community Recycling and Economic Development programme – has closed, while the Big Lottery Fund is yet to reveal plans for new funding.

Campaign
The London FRN is currently starting up a new campaign to alert social workers, health visitors and community workers that they can refer families in need of household furniture to the re-use projects. It says 13% of British households cannot afford essential items, and that the situation is worse still in London.

Richard Featherstone, London FRN development officer, said: “Through our campaign we intend to boost re-use distribution and at the same time add a few percentage points to the recycling rates of the London boroughs.”

The London FRN is run by the London Community Recycling Network.