The UK’s nationwide housing crisis has forced millions of people in the UK to endure substandard living conditions. Millions more have been forced into the use of food banks as a vital lifeline to feed their families.
But there is another, hidden horror unfolding amidst the housing crisis: new research we conducted has revealed that an absence of basic pieces of furniture or home appliances – a situation faced by an estimated 2 million people in the UK – is having a significant negative impact on family dynamics, social lives, and personal wellbeing and mental health.
Simultaneously, everyday hundreds of pieces of perfectly good furniture and household fittings are discarded at dumps, in landfill, or via fly tipping up and down the country. Our research shows almost a quarter of us admit to throwing away perfectly good items that could have been used by someone else, especially those in need.
In partnership with High Wycombe Central Aid Society as well as influential local footballer Adebayo Akinfenwa, the Ryobi Re-Build Campaign reclaims these pieces of discarded furniture and fittings and puts DIY skills to use to upcycle that material and provide it to the families and individuals living in furniture poverty who need it the most.
And you can make a difference too. If you have got unwanted furniture that you’d like to donate, there are charities like Central Aid up and down the UK who will happily take it and ensure it gets to a household who really need it.
The Reuse Network supports a network of reuse charities across the UK to help them alleviate poverty, reduce waste and tackle climate change. In 2020, the charity reuse sector in the UK supplied 3.4 million items of furniture and electrical appliances.
Lesley Prescott, Head of Operations at the Reuse Network explained more about the impact that furniture donation can have for people in need: “Passing on furniture that you no longer need to someone who does, is nothing new. What has changed, especially in the wake of the pandemic, is the breadth and scope of the demand for second-hand furniture and electrical appliances.
As the UK's network supporting reuse charities working towards the alleviation of poverty and helping people make a house a home; we are delighted to work with Ryobi on behalf of our charity members.
To find a furniture charity near you to donate any unwanted furniture you have and help the fightback against furniture poverty, visit: www.reuse-network.org.uk/donate-items