Got some furniture you don’t need in your self storage unit? Give ReStore Community Projects a call…

Lots of people who use self storage keep pieces of furniture in their units. Maybe they are the legacy of an old decorating project, or there are things that you couldn’t find room for in your new house. They might be inherited, or just stuff that you can’t find a use for anywhere else.

Furniture tends to get stuck in self storage units because it’s naturally difficult to shift. Selling it can be fiddly and time-consuming, whilst many charity shops may not welcome larger items.

However, if you live in the London area, there is a charity dedicated to collecting and re-distributing used furniture and white goods to help people in disadvantaged communities. They make it surprisingly easy to help someone else out by giving away the big bits and pieces which you no longer need.

ReStore Community Projects

Originally founded in King’s Cross in 1996, ReStore Community Projects is a charity with a very simple purpose. What they specialise in is getting their hands on furniture and domestic appliances which other people don’t need any more. Once they have collected these items, they are then either sold to the general public – with the money this raises being invested in their charitable work – or they are re-distributed at a heavy discount to those who are severely in need.

ReStore Community Projects began as an organisation which helped homeless people who’d just been allocated housing to get their hands on the furniture and appliances that they needed. However, in the face of rising demand, the list of disadvantaged groups whom they now assist has grown to also include people living in social housing, benefit recipients, asylum seekers, ex-convicts, and victims of addiction, or mental health problems, or other disabilities.

For those of us who live in comfortable homes, it’s hard to imagine what it’s like to have to sleep on the floor because you can’t afford a bed, or the limitations which are caused to your life by not having a washing machine or an oven. ReStore Community Projects does vital work to try and make vulnerable peoples’ homes a bit more comfortable, so that they can lead their lives more easily.

What can I do?

If your home or your self storage unit contains items of furniture and domestic appliances which aren’t being used, and which are really there only because you can’t work out what to do with them, giving them to ReStore Community Projects can be a great way to finally get rid of the hassle they cause whilst also doing something good for charity.

In particular, they are looking for the following:

• Fridges
• Freezers
• Electric cookers
• Washing Machines
• Three-piece suites
• Settees
• Sofa beds
• Chests of drawers
• Beds (base and mattress)
• Chairs
• Tables
• Bookcases
• Wall Units
• Wardrobes

Obviously, anything you donate needs to be in good working order, as it is going to be used again by someone else. Make sure you check their website to find out the full set of regulations governing which items they can and can’t accept, as well as their policies on making collections and getting stuff over to them:

http://www.restorecommunityprojects.org/index.php

All in all, ReStore Community Projects is a wonderful way to help other families if you’re thinking of clearing out your self storage unit this Christmas.

7 Responses to “Got some furniture you don’t need in your self storage unit? Give ReStore Community Projects a call…”

1. Alana says:

   December 19, 2012 at 2:27 pm

   This is quite a benevolent endeavor you’ve undertaken. There might be something we can do to help but we aren’t located in London. Do they cater to Cardiff?

2. David says:

   December 24, 2012 at 12:46 pm

   Thanks for your interest. I don’t believe they do, but you can get in touch with them and see what they say. The details are all on their website.

3. Gary says:

   January 14, 2013 at 10:05 am

   Its a fantastic concept.I have been looking for something like this in my area and
   will be looking into it immediately thank you very much for your idea.

4. Mini Storage Penticton says:

   January 14, 2013 at 10:37 pm

   The uses of specialized storage spaces vary depending on the market using the spaces. Because of the advantages presented by being efficient and organized, this type of storage units appeal to residential owners, owners of small-scale business or even full pledge enterprises.

5. Elen Bruce says:

   June 4, 2013 at 12:41 pm

   I really appreciate the work done by Restore Community. You people are doing great job by providing unused furniture to needy people. I will try my best to help you guys in any way.

6. Coat Hooks for Schools says:

   June 11, 2013 at 3:11 pm

   We have something very similar to this in Bolton, Lancashire. The project is called Emmahaus (http://www.emmaus-bolton.org.uk/). These guys do an amazing job and often have many unique or high quality items of furniture.

7. Mobile Storage Sydney says:

   June 26, 2013 at 7:23 am

   More charities like ReStore Community Projects should be established. In the neighbourhood that I live in, most of the charity organizations refuse large and bulky items while there are also some that require us to have our own transport. Not everybody has the necessary resources and that will lead them to simply dispose off their bulky unwanted furniture sets abandoned in their storage units. Donating those items would definitely be better to help the needy, instead of letting them go to waste.