The non-profit social enterprise takes unwanted furniture from mainly corporate members and re-sells it at discount prices to community groups, charities, hospitals, the voluntary sector, start-up businesses and to individuals.
Green-Works Leicester will now see the organisation working with furniture recycler Stride, which operates across the Midlands region.
 Colin Crooks of Green-Works (left) signs an agreement with Dave Brazier and Phil Saunders (right) of Green-Works Leicester |
Commenting on the new partnership, Green-Works chief executive Colin Crooks said: “Stride is exactly the type of organisation that Green-Works wishes to partner with during our expansion. A social enterprise with an enviable track record of commercial sustainability and training development, it is ideally suited to assist large numbers of organisations in the Midlands.”
Founded in London three years ago, Green-Works has expanded to two sites in the capital, including a 30,000 square foot warehouse in Silvertown, which can handle up to 500 tonnes of furniture each month. Among its corporate members are law firm Clifford Chance, Unilever, HSBC and BP. Green-Works also takes furniture from government bodies including the Foreign Office, Customs and Excise, the Highways Agency and the Department of Constitutional Affairs.
Award
Green-Works works with charities including Remploy and First Fruit to provide training, skills and support for disadvantaged members of society. For its efforts, it won the Community Initiative of The Year award at the Business Link for London Excellence Awards 2003.
Stride, part of the Shelter Housing Aid & Research Project (SHARP) charity, had already been re-distributing furniture to vulnerable sectors of society, but the Green-Works partnership is now providing it with a valuable in-road into corporate-sourced office furniture. Since operations began in mid-August, the franchise has taken on about 15 tonnes of furniture.
Stride chief executive David Brazier explained: “This is an exciting new venture for us into uncharted territory. Stride already serves the Leicestershire and East Midlands region with low cost quality furniture for community groups, housing associations, social landlords and charities. This partnership will enable us to expand our operation by providing much needed office furniture and to generate more money for our parent charity SHARP.”
The expansion to Leicester follows the opening of a franchise in Portsmouth in January 2003 (see letsrecycle.com story), and Green-Works looks set to continue its nationwide expansion to the North East of England as it is currently in “advance discussions” over a possible new franchise in Durham.
For more information, visit the Green-Works website.
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