Furniture service in £300k grant boost

A project which will help dozens of people into work across Cannock Chase and Lichfield is to continue after securing a grant of almost £300,000.

Cash from The Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) will allow the Home Comforts furniture re-use service, run by Chase Council for Voluntary Service, to operate for another two years. Home Comforts, established in 1996, collects items of furniture and household goods donated by the local community and makes them available at its unit in Hawks Green, Cannock.

The items are on sale at low cost via referrals from agencies such as the Jobcentre or social services, or at higher prices, to the general public. It has been funded since August 2006 by the Big Lottery Fund but that deal expires tomorrow.

The new cash will also enable Home Comforts to expand opportunities for vol- unteers and provide additional collection and unit capacity, resulting in increased diversion of quality items from landfill and more choice available to beneficiaries.

Kate Bainbridge, project manager, said: "The new project will enable us to offer volunteering activities that will build capacity and create opportunities for learning new skills, while offering practical experience and accreditation through our partnership with South Staffordshire College."

The volunteering programme is flexible and open to anyone long-term unemployed, young people who are not in education or training, lone parents, carers, people with mental health issues and those with a physical, sensory or learning disability.

Opportunities include warehousing, collection and delivery, stock maintenance and control, order picking, office skills, customer service, retail, computing, data input and publicity and marketing. Anyone with items to donate, needing essential items of furniture or wishing to join the volunteer programme should call 01543 467555.