Got any spare change down the back of the sofa?

Well the charity which supplies furniture and household goods to Devon is hoping you can donate a few quid to them to help pay their bills.

Refurnish has been helping low income families – and anyone with an eye for a bargain – since 1998.
Its free school uniforms are particularly popular at the moment,  said chief executive David Banks.

Like many of us, Refurnish is feeling the cost of living pinch. It relies entirely on income from sales and is facing rises in wages, rents, energy prices and so on. “It is more of a struggle to meet our costs,” Dave explained. An internet fundraising appeal – which is being matched pound for pound by Aviva at the moment – is hoping to raise £40,000. “It is crisis funding to pull us out of trouble. Our wage bill for 31 employees is £70,000 a month, with National Insurance and pension contributions, and our rent for our shops is around £120,000 a year.”

we aren’t going to let them down

Refurnish collects unwanted furniture, electrical goods, books, toys, pots, pans and all sorts of goodies, so saving some 500 tonnes a year going to landfill. It is a vital resource for many families in Totnes and the other locations in the county, from Barnstaple to Crediton, Tavistock, Tiverton, Bideford, Buckfastleigh, Newton Abbot and South Molton. “So many people have told me they have nothing and get most of their stuff from us,” Dave said. Prices are two tier – slightly more for those who can afford it – and even, quietly, Dave says sometimes they let people have goods for nothing.

Refurnish gets no grants and pays commercial rents. The Totnes depot, handily next to the recycling centre, is rented from South Hams District Council. Dave is keen to stress he understands that councils have priorities and need to make their budgets stretch ever further. He is however hoping that a forthcoming meeting with the county council will find ways they can get mutual help. And is is very keen to stress that Refurnish is NOT CLOSING.

It’s not the first time the charity has been in need of some charity itself – it had help more than a decade ago from a trust – but as Dave said, funders change their priorities. For now, there are no
obvious organisations to go to. “I will make sure we find the money from somewhere – we have more than 25,000 customers throughout Devon and we aren’t going to let them down.”

The current fundraising campaign ends soon so check that sofa!
www.refurnish.org.uk
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/save-refurnish