Furniture charity stays open thanks to Thames Valley Housing

Published by Jenny Sandford for Thames Valley Housing Association in Communities

A Slough charity that was in danger of closing will be able to continue its vital work, thanks to Thames Valley Housing Assocation (TVH). 

The Association donated £5,000 from its Community Chest fund to The Slough Furniture Project, which collects and refurbishes donations of  good quality household goods and furniture, then delivers them to people in need. 

 Norma Palmer, Project Manager at the Slough Furniture Project, said, “Our premises were taken over as part of a regeneration project. 

 “Our rent has increased massively.  We are really grateful to TVH for this donation.  It will contribute to the cost of new premises and ensure we can continue our work, fighting poverty and child poverty in this really vital way.

 “The people we help often cannot afford basic household items such as a sofa or a kitchen table, or a cot for their child.  Poverty like that affects people severely; adults suffer from low self-esteem and depression.  Children may feel isolated and marked out as ‘different”.

 Slough Furniture Project is run by 3 part-time staff members and a bank of 14 volunteers who clean and repair the furniture, then deliver it to those who need it.

Sahil Khan, Community Investment Manager at TVH said, “This project is a brilliant example of our Community Chest fund working in a number of ways. It helps families in need of essential items for their household.  The store itself is somewhere locals can meet, chat and get information about services and it helps the environment by reusing unwanted furniture that would otherwise end up in landfill sites.”

Ends

For more information about TVH’s Community Chest Fund, phone Rosalind Grozier, Communications Officer, on 0208 607 0886,  email her at rosalind_grozier@tvha.co.uk or visit www.tvha.co.uk

Image:  From left to right: Volunteer, Slough Furniture Store; Sahil Khan, Community Investment Manager, TVH; Chair, Slough Furniture Store; Jatinder Narwal, Housing Officer, TVH; Volunteer, Slough Furniture Store; Norma Palmer, Project Manager, Slough Furniture Store, Volunteer, Slough Furniture Store.

Notes to Editors

Thames Valley Housing is based in Twickenham, South West London and houses a wide range of people who have many different needs. Founded in 1966, the association owns, manages and administers loans for over 14,500 properties inLondon, Berkshire, Surrey, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Wiltshire andSussex, and has 200 properties under construction. Thames Valley Housing provides affordable rented homes, shared ownership, market rent, student and key worker accommodation, working with eight NHS Trusts.