Plea to turn furniture into charity cash
PEOPLE planning to get rid of unwanted furniture are urged to give it a second life and help to raise money for charity, instead of taking it to the tip.
Workers at Emmaus Emporium on Stockwell Head say they will collect good quality pre-loved pieces for selling in their popular charity shop which raises money for the cause.
Emmaus Leicestershire and Rutland, which is based at Elm Lea on Ashby Road in the town, provides accommodation and work for up to 16 previously homeless people, helping them to get their lives back on track.
Every year, the charity accepts more than 3,400 pieces of furniture, from beds and three-piece suites to tables and chairs, which might otherwise have ended up in landfill.
Companions, as Elm Lea residents are known, put out a fresh call for more donations to coincide with national Recycle Week (September 25 to October 1).
Mark Dagley, 52, is one of the companions who works in the Hinckley Emporium.
Having grown up in Leicestershire he described his life as “pretty normal” until the breakdown of a relationship left him homeless and forced to sleep rough on and off for about seven months.
Mr Dagley said: “I used to sleep in the toilet in a park.
“I never really knew where I was going to be from one day to the next.
“The public can be very kind but many treat you as if you are dirt on the floor and turn their faces from you as they walk past.
“I was cold and lonely and ashamed for a lot of the time.
“Emmaus has given me a purpose, a place I can call home and independence.
“They don’t care about your past here, all they care about is helping us to have a fresh start.
“Thanks to Emmaus, I’m excited for the future.”
Emmaus Leicestershire & Rutland’s business manager Matt Taylor said: “We hope that our local community will pull together to help Emmaus make a difference.
“Everything sold in the shop will raise money to help us change the lives of formerly homeless people like Mark.”
If you have furniture to donate and would like to arrange a collection please call Hinckley 637587 or visit emmaus.org.uk/leicestershire_rutland