Lancashire wide furniture recycling enterprise wins award after being praised for work during lockdown

Furniture Matters, part of The Calico Group, have won an Enterprise in Society Award in the category of Large Social Enterprise of the Year.

Hosted by Selnet, these awards highlighted and celebrated the impact made throughout Lancashire’s business community over the past 18 months.

Furniture Matters operates reused and recycled furniture and white goods outlets in Blackpool and Morecambe while also delivering collection services up and down the Fylde coast.

In doing so it generates training, volunteering and work opportunities and has a positive environmental impact by diverting tonnes of waste away from landfill with more than 1,600 tonnes of waste being collected from households across Lancashire in the last 18 months.

Their recycling and refurbishing services saw 880 tonnes of waste diverted from landfill, and 1,400 electrical items repaired, refurbished and reused.

Furniture Matters was also praised for its work during the pandemic, responding to emergency requests for provision of items from Councils and organisations across Lancashire, including Lancashire County Council, Blackpool Council, Blackpool NHS, SafeNet, Burnley Borough Council, Wyre Council, Blackpool Coastal Housing, South Ribble Council, Onward Housing and Calico Homes.

Over 100 properties were furnished over a 12 week period, delivering beds, bedding, various reuse furniture, kitchen packs, reuse cookers, washing machines and seating.

New suppliers were sourced as items became difficult to obtain, and the group collaborated with other reuse organisations that could not remain open to ensure that supply met demand, making sure that those at risk were housed and in lockdown as a matter of urgency.

Steph Buchannan, Furniture Matters manager, said: “We’re delighted our work has been recognised and praise goes to all our delivery partners, customers and the wonderful local communities we serve, not to mention the amazing team we have here at Furniture Matters who work so hard and with such passion.

"We’re proud to have won, but we’re more proud of the impact we make locally on a social and environmental level and we’ll work hard to not just repeat this performance but improve upon it.”