Providing low cost furniture in Fife
Furniture Plus Limited was founded in December 2001 and became a charity in March 2002. Based in Kirkcaldy, the organisation aim to combat poverty, social exclusion and homelessness by re-using, recycling and repairing donated furniture and household goods which they then sell for a small cost or provide free of charge for those most in need.
The organisation have two retail outlets in Dysart and Dunfermline and partner with Fife Council to supply furniture and white goods to households applying for crisis loans and community care grants. In 2019 alone, the group prevented over 600 tonnes of reusable furniture from going to landfill.
In 2020, Furniture Plus was awarded £13,900 over three years to contribute to the development of an online shop.
The funding received enabled the organisation to establish a new administrative role, responsible for photographing and uploading items for sale to their new online store. The organisation employed a young unemployed person in the role. And with support, they have developed and gained invaluable experience in online sales over the last year.
Due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, the organisation were forced to close their physical stores meaning that their only source of income during this time was via online sales. Unfortunately, during the first lockdown, the online store wasn't quite ready to launch but thankfully it was up and running in time for the second and helped them to achieve over £10,000 in income.
The development of the website and online sales has helped to ensure that Furniture Plus can continue to support those most in need in their local area.