End of an era for Shrewsbury furniture charity but staff plan fresh start

A charity which helps people on low incomes buy second-hand furniture is set to be reborn following its forthcoming closure.

Shrewsbury Furniture Scheme will shut down on March 31 after serving the county town for 32 years but staff from the Monkmoor-based charity have started to plan the next chapter.

Administrator Carrie Woods and current volunteer Melanie Addis have now set up Fresh Start Furnishings.

They are hoping to launch in the coming weeks once the paperwork has been finalised on a new warehouse close to their current base on Hartley Business Park, in Monkmoor Road.

It will be open Monday to Friday but could extend to weekend opening if the demand is there and the aim is to register it as a new charity eventually.

A Go Fund Me page has also been set up in a bid to raise £30,000 to support the launch.

Ms Woods, who is now three years into her second stint working for Shrewsbury Furniture Scheme, told the Shropshire Star the need for furniture among people on low incomes was greater than it had ever been so was keen to continue the charity's work.

She said: "We have learned over the past few weeks after the news came out about us closing that the need is very much still there.

"People are still in need of cheap furniture and white goods as they don't have a lot of money due to everything that's been going on.

"We are going to have just volunteers to begin with but, once we have that funding coming in, then we will be aiming to hire paid staff.

"We are already looking at getting a delivery van and have a driver and a driver's mate ready to start. Some of the current volunteers are also coming with us."

Shrewsbury Furniture Scheme was founded in 1994 by by Peter Nunn and sells a broad variety of donated furniture including sofas, beds, wardrobes and white goods.

It also runs workshops showing how to upcycle furniture and prevents more goods from going into landfill.

Typical customers include families, those moving into their first home and people on low incomes, with discounts offered to customers in receipt of benefits.

Ms Woods, 34, told the Star it had faced a series of financial difficulties including closing its town centre shop last year while grant funding from the government and bodies such as the National Lottery had almost disappeared.

Around eight paid staff are also leaving the charity as a result of its closure.

She said: "All the money from sales goes back into the pot to keep us going and we have also received grants but they have basically dried up. We have continued to apply for the grants but every time have been told 'No'.

"Last year, we ran quite a large deficit and the shop in Castle Street had to close because of the overheads and business rates on the unit.

"It just got out of hand and was too expensive. Having another shop in the future is not really an option so we're happy sticking with just the warehouse."

Looking ahead, Ms Woods said they would be applying some of the lessons they had learned from the closure of the charity.

She concluded: "At the moment, delivery is only £5 in Shrewsbury but we're going to increase that to £15 which will help to cover costs a little more.

"Some of our current operating costs and utility bills are quite high so we've looked into this and believe we can bring them down in the new location.

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"We will also be looking at what we charge for the items - we are determined to make it work.

"I once had a lady ring me up needing a bed as she had an emergency placement of a foster child who was moving in with her later that same day.

"Another came to me in tears as she was starting her life from scratch after escaping domestic violence and without us that would not have been possible.

"It has been a place where people can come to get that furniture in an emergency. That need is there and I don't ever see that need getting any smaller."