Cast-off furniture finding homes with new initiative
A new initiative will work to furnish the homes of vulnerable people in Telford using items that would have otherwise been thrown away.
Telford & Wrekin Council and Veolia are working in partnership with local charity A Better Tomorrow to help furnish homes for vulnerable adults.
The scheme seeks to re-purpose household items coming into the waste stream through the Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) and bulky collection service. Where possible items are being salvaged to support A Better Tomorrow in the work it does.
Steve Mitchell, regional director for Veolia, said: “We are seeing some fantastic quality items such as sofas and bedroom furniture destined to be thrown away, and through our re-use scheme we are able to pass it on to A Better Tomorrow to aid in the great work they do in the borough and give these unwanted items a new lease of life.”
Martin Cantrill, from A Better Tomorrow, said: “We have clients who at first struggled to settle within the project and sometimes leave poor accommodation with unsalvageable belongings. With support from Veolia and the council we can help them in making the transition from a hectic lifestyle into their new recovery journey. We have been helped all the way by the amazing Veolia team.
“A Better Tomorrow has seen many success stories over the years, with clients returning to full time employment, getting their own accommodation, and returning to their families in a positive manner after completing their time with the project. Without the support from companies with forward-thinking minds and kind hearts we would struggle to make this happen.”
Councillor Lee Carter, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member for neighbourhood, commercial services and regeneration, and Councillor Carolyn Healy, cabinet member for climate change, green spaces, natural and historic environment, welcomed the scheme – which forms part of the authority's mission to be carbon neutral by 2030.
Councillor Healy said: “If we are to reduce our carbon footprint we all need to reduce what we waste. This is an excellent project which will see unwanted items being saved from disposal and reused by people in need who will make good use of them. Recycling is great, but re-use is even better.”
