Furnishing Futures, the charity dedicated to transforming empty social housing into safe, healing homes for women and children escaping domestic abuse, is Bedkingdom’s new charity partner.
The partnership will see Bedkingdom donate at least 30 mattresses each month, along with sofas, beds and other furniture as required.
Furniture poverty effects more than 14million people in the UK. Less than 2% of social housing is furnished and for vulnerable women and children fleeing domestic abuse, being placed into empty social housing leaves them feeling worthless and compounds their trauma. Buying essential items is also a leading cause of debt for vulnerable families, keeping them in poverty.
Despite this, 22million pieces of furniture end up in landfill every year, much of which is in new or as new condition. Furnishing Futures bridges this gap by rescuing high-quality items from the interiors industry and using them to create safe, comfortable homes for families in need.
‘Partnering with Furnishing Futures was a really obvious choice for us, when we were looking for a new charity partner. The founder, Emily Wheeler [pictured left with interior designer Clare Gaskin and a women’s refuge], started the charity in response to the poverty she saw in her frontline social work, and we feel incredibly passionate about supporting her vision to end furniture poverty and make sure that no usable furniture ends up going to waste in landfill,’ says Ashley Hainsworth, Bedkingdom and Flair Furniture Group md.
‘We are thrilled to partner with Bedkingdom and grateful for their support in tackling furniture poverty. Their contributions will help us transform even more empty houses into homes where families can heal and rebuild their lives,’ says Wheeler.
