Community furniture recycler to shut over costs

Wrekin Reviive, which started in 2011, has stores in Oswestry and Shrewsbury

A community organisation that recycles furniture and household goods says it is to close due to rising costs and changing consumer behaviour.

Wrekin Reviive, which resells items through an online shop plus stores in Oswestry and Shrewsbury, said the decision had not been easy.

"Even with lots of hard work and effort to grow Wrekin Reviive, rising costs and changes in shopping habits have made it hard for us to keep going," a message posted online said.

The venture, which is part of The Wrekin Housing Group and gives tenants a 30% discount, is due to shut early next year.

It will close having worked with partners to provide essential household items to people who are struggling financially or in need of crisis support.

Writing on Facebook, the organisation thanked those who had supported it since it started operating in 2011.

"We're proud of what Wrekin Reviive has achieved - helping local families find affordable furniture, reducing waste, and promoting reuse across our communities," the message said.

Wrekin Reviive said it had diverted hundreds of tonnes of items from landfill each year.

Commenting on the announcement, followers said the news was sad and the project would be missed.

A Wrekin Housing Group spokesperson said the decision to shut had not been taken lightly, but it believed the money used to support the project could be better spent in helping a larger number of tenants.

"Despite continued efforts to bring in more business, changes in the retail market and increasing costs have made it harder to keep Wrekin Reviive running sustainably," they said.

"We provide homes and services to over 33,000 households across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and Staffordshire. However, only a small number of our customers have used Wrekin Reviive - less than 3% over the past few years."

The housing group added it was talking with other charitable furniture providers in the area about how to continue to help tenants in need of items.