Sheffield charity strives to help people with ‘furniture poverty’ as it celebrates 35th anniversary

St Vincent's Furniture Store on Queens Road is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, but few seem to know its existence - let alone its role in providing essential assistance to those in need.

Shannon Gabbert, Centre Manager at St Vincent's Furniture project, said the charity was set up to support people in need struggling to afford furniture.

Clients leaving care, people leaving a hospital after major surgery, abuse victims, refugees, asylum seekers, or anyone who finds themselves in need, she said, are among those the charity helps.

Shannon explained: “Currently we work with over 100 agencies that include local councils, housing associations, NHS departments and other local charities to go in and support people that are struggling for various reasons and different circumstances.

“These agencies assess the need because they're the experts in their client base.”

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‘People are very, very generous’

She said people in Sheffield have been 'very generous' with their donations, which include mattresses, sofas, bed frames, wardrobes, and kitchenware, which will all be given to those in need.

Shannon added: “We run a free collection service in Sheffield and people are very, very generous.

“We have a list every week on our website or social media for the items that we are collecting but essentially we collect all essentials that people need to make a home such as beds, sofas, dining tables, chairs, pots and plates.”

She said as the charity turns 35, support from the community has been growing over the years with more people appreciating that their furniture could be given a second lease of life to help others.

She said: “I think we are are ingrained in the community.

“We have always been very small though so we’re not that well known but when people find out about this we always get quite a lot of people seem to really appreciate that the furniture is going to someone in need rather than kind of getting sold.

“So the furniture is getting a new lease of life and someone else is going to use it make memories with it.”

The charity offers a completely free service but people are encouraged to make a financial donation if they can.

Items need to be assessed to ensure they are suitable for donated.

She said: “We have an optional £5 donation that people can make when we deliver to them but we rarely get it, we rarely expect it because people need to keep that especially with the cost of living going up so at the moment so we don't often get that.”

To organise a collection, members of the public can contact the charity by calling 0114 270 3990 or email [email protected].

The office is open from 8.30am to 3.30pm Mondays to Fridays.

Find out which items are urgently needed, visit the charity’s website here for a full list.

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