Out & About March 2017

Individual items reused included:

2,444 tables of all sizes 2,244 dining chairs 1,503 bedside cabinets 1,432 sofas 1,035 bookcases 933 white goods 752 beds 744 bicycles 593 wardrobes 8 pianos

Furniture reused in 2016

In 2016 the Community Furniture Project

Number of items Total weight (tonnes)

Furniture

16,504 31,394

451.60 145.21

Bric-a-brac

n received 14,358 donations n had 93,301 customer visits n saw 29,622 customer pur- chases n arranged 4,812 collections by project vehicles n made 3,336 deliveries of furniture n recycled 66.69 tonnes of material

Children’s items

747 744

6.25

Bikes

10.43 46.90

Household items 13,834 Carpets and flooring 285 Bedding and curtains 1,873

2.71 2.07 0.67 1.55

“It helps people build up a network of friends to support them and gets them to understand that they can be a contributor to the community. “Feeling you are helping others can be very powerful in growing someone’s confidence.” Progression is a favourite word at NCRC and Kelvin believes that it doesn’t matter where people start from, they can always progress. This is the case with both learning and with mental health progression. At NCRC they have a five-step scheme for supporting people with mental health issues. “We always encourage people to come in and just have a step one day, even if they were previously up at step five,” Kelvin explains.

Bathroom items Garden items Electrical items

36

131

2,992

46.80

Total

68,540

714.20

“We just always want them to come in and not stay at home on their own. “We are aware that things are not always on an upwards trajectory and we think people should be able to come in and work at whatever step they feel like on any given day, which should help them cope more in the long run.”

The charity employs 48 people, in a variety of part-time and full-time roles, and has 324 volunteers currently registered, but they are always keen to welcome newcomers. “There are so many ways you can help,” Kelvin says. “Donate to us, buy from us, volunteer with us, or train with us. “We really are what we say we are. We are inclusive and people are here because they all want to help the local community.” The charity has now secured a 20-year lease on the current Newbury premises, thanks to support from the Greenham Common Trust, meaning it can plan for a secure future and concentrate on the things that matter – helping the community it serves. 

The 5-Step programme aims to support people with mental health issues by allowing them to progress at their own rate: Step 1 – This is just getting someone into the NCRC building and out of their own house, which for many people is a significant first step Step 2 – Joining in with basic arts and crafts activities Step 3 – Getting on to the periphery of volunteering by watching others and contributing when and where they can Step 4 – Getting involved in volunteering or learning or just spending more time utilising the skills they already have Step 5 – The person is involved in regular volunteering and is actively looking for work

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