The Wrekin Housing Trust ‘s partnership with The Furniture Scheme
A new partnership has been formed between The Furniture Scheme and The Wrekin Housing Trust, and they have recently taken delivery of their new van which will be used to deliver and collect items for The Furniture Scheme, based in Ludlow.
The two companies have teamed up to provide new business and volunteer opportunities in Shropshire, and the benefits of the partnership are already clear to see.
The Furniture Scheme, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, has set up a new business called Clean Cut, a social enterprise which, from April, will create two new positions who will work with up to four trainees at any one time to deliver maintenance and cleaning services.
The Wrekin Housing Trust will be using Clean Cut to deliver cleaning and landscaping services to some of its flats, supporting the opportunities for local trainees and in turn ensuring their tenants receive a great service. Trainees will receive support to achieve two qualifications whilst with Clean Cut as well as gaining practical skills and employability support.
As well as this, The Furniture Scheme has been working with The Wrekin Housing Trust on new developments in South Shropshire, and recently stripped the old tax office which the Trust will be demolishing to make way for new affordable housing. All of the contents removed will be recycled or reused in some way, or sold on with the profits going back into The Furniture Scheme to help more local people gain work and volunteering experiences, or to set up their own social enterprises.
Working with The Wrekin Housing Group, which also consists of Reviive furniture stores, Choices Housing and Shropshire Housing Alliance, The Furniture Scheme has also recently been successful in their bid to run the Community Hub at Northfield Village, a brand new flagship extra care scheme in Stafford, which the Trust and Choices are working on with Staffordshire County Council. This will be in addition to the community centres already run by The Furniture Scheme in Craven Arms and Ludlow.
David Garratt, Development Manager for the Trust in South Shropshire, said: “There is a lot of good work going on within the Group and already we have some great services and innovations happening due to teaming up with The Furniture Scheme, with lots more in the pipeline. It’s great to have the van too, as a visual reminder to everyone of the work that’s going on in the new partnership.”
Pictured above: (l-r) James Cooper, General Manager, The Furniture Scheme and David Garratt, Development Manager (based in Ludlow), The Wrekin Housing Trust.
March 28, 2014
