Bromsgrove community furniture project NewStarts secures £110k

The charity says it distributes items so low income families and people in financial crisis can create homes

A charity that provides emergency food, furniture and household items to people in need has said securing £110,000 funding has given it greater stability.

NewStarts, a social enterprise project said the low interest loan from Big Issue Invest (BII) would help it buy its main premises in Bromsgrove.

BII said NewStarts' work in the community was "invaluable".

"We hope we can support the organisation to go from strength to strength," said its head Danyal Sattar.

Marion Kenyon, NewStarts chief executive, said it was grateful for the support and guidance from the BII, the Big Issue's investment arm, over the past six years.

She said buying the charity's premises on Sherwood Road would give it stability for the future - something it appreciates when it is "working with others to stabilise their futures".

Marion Kenyon (centre) said she had seen children forced to sleep on cardboard in homes

NewStarts, a Christian project helping people on low incomes or in financial crisis, said it redistributed items such as beds and wardrobes free or at affordable prices.

"It's quite horrific that, even in this day and age, when we go to deliver furniture, I've seen children sleeping on cardboard on the floor. You think this is Britain, this shouldn't be happening. But it does happen," Ms Kenyon said.

"When it comes to furniture, many are forced to take on hire purchases with high interest rates, further widening the socio-economic divide."

She said its operations also helped the environment by reusing existing items and saving about 190 tonnes of furniture going to landfill each year.

The charity usually gets 70% of its money from sales of household items and computers, but with this income lost during the first coronavirus lockdown, it said it had considered closing its food bank.

However, Ms Kenyon said it decided to stay open and after donations of food, cash and grants, was able to provide 3,878 food parcels and 228,000 meals during the first year of the pandemic.

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