A Harrogate charity – which runs a successful second-hand furniture enterprise – has now branched out into the restoration business, thanks to grant funding.
Over the last 12 months, Hornbeam Park-based Disability Action Yorkshire has sold in excess of 3,000 items, ranging from ornaments and vases to three piece suites and dining tables and chairs
Now the charity, which operates as a social enterprise, has been awarded funding from the York and North Yorkshire Waste Partnership Community Reuse Fund, which aims to increase reuse across York and North Yorkshire, to run a small restoration service.
For this venture it has also received support from Harrogate College, Shepherd and Dixon Charitable Trust and Trees of Normandy.
Disability Action Yorkshire deputy chief executive Ange Brockett said:
Thanks to the funding and support, for which we are extremely grateful, up to four ‘learners’ on our training scheme will be able to work in this facility at any one time.
The aim is to give learners skills that they can use if they are living on their own, including sanding and painting items.
Our furniture enterprise is a huge success and the new restoration and repair element is an exciting development for us. However, for it to work successfully, we are looking for volunteers who are good at DIY and using their hands, to help out.
Each learner works for a maximum of two hours and we are looking for people to give one on one help, which will be of huge benefit to the learner. Repair and restoring items gives them a purpose and in the long term it will ultimately help those who go on to live independent lives.
Disability Action Yorkshire, which last year celebrated its 75th anniversary, owns a residential care home on Harrogate’s Claro Road for adults, aged between 18 and 65, with physical disabilities.
It also runs a training centre at its Hornbeam Park headquarters, for disabled adults who are wishing to gain the skills and experience to help them into employment.
Anyone interested in finding out more about the furniture enterprise – and the new repair workshop – should contact Ange Brockett on 01423 855 410.
