NewStarts
Description of the role
You will be examining the large quantities of bedding, curtains, and clothes which we receive as donations, sorting the unusable items (due to wear and tear/poor condition) into recycling, and the usable items into packs/pairs, which we can donate to people who have been homeless and who are moving out of B&B accommodation and into a council flat. NewStarts furnishes 400 properties for free each year to help them avoid debt and settle into their new and unfurnished homes. The bedding and curtains form part of our donation of furniture, which will also typically include; beds, sofas, tables, chairs, wardrobes, kitchenware etc. This role is stationed at our main site in Bromsgrove, working in the shop and warehouse.
Tasks include examining soft furnishings, separating into usable/non-usable items, tidying up, sorting usable items into packs which can be displayed and given away. Some customer interaction and cleaning work may also be available, depending on the volunteer and what you want to do.
We are looking for:
The soft furnishing role is a physically active role. We always appreciate people who are friendly, happy to fit into a team and do what needs to be done, who can take the initiative, but also happy to check with staff members. No particular qualifications are required for this role. Friendliness & punctuality are both important characteristics, which we are looking for.
Practical Considerations
Free lunch and free tea and coffee are offered to volunteers and all reasonable commuting costs are reimbursed so long as the volunteer keeps receipts/bus tickets.
Any specific requirements
- Any additional requirements will be discussed with you and the organisation.
Where is the opportunity based?
The opportunity is in 1 Sherwood Rd, Bromsgrove, B60 3DR.
When is the opportunity available?
Volunteering days available to be discussed between you and the organisation.
About the organisation
NewStarts is a community project that provides practical and advocacy support to recently homeless people and others in financial crisis or on very low incomes so that they can make a fresh start in a new home.
Our aims are:
- To relieve poverty and reduce debt.
- To reduce the risk of homelessness by providing practical help with resettlement and advice.
- To protect the environment by promoting re-use and reducing landfill disposal of unwanted household goods.
NewStarts provides practical help to people on very low incomes and those in financial crisis, so they can make a fresh start in a new home. We offer volunteering opportunities and employability support to the unemployed and deliver a variety of free training schemes to help people reconnect and find employment. We are passionate about people and what they can become.
Activities involve:
- Collecting 2nd hand furniture and donating it to people in financial crisis, as well as selling it at low cost.
- Recycling old laptops, data cleansing the hard drives before reinstalling them and selling them at low cost.
- Delivering free training on key issues such as basic IT skills and money management, as well as arts and crafts.
- Offering a broad range of voluntary opportunities including: warehousing, administration, cleaning, IT recycling, woodwork and furniture repair, driving.
From our base in Bromsgrove, NewStarts:
- Donates reusable furniture and other essential household goods free of charge to more than 50 individuals and families every month who are on very low incomes moving into social housing who cannot afford to furnish their property
- Works with 80+ different agencies who refer people in genuine need of household items, serving a wide radius around Bromsgrove including Redditch, Worcester, Kidderminster, south Birmingham and north Warwickshire
- Provides work experience and volunteering placements
- Offers support and advice on housing related issues and debt
- Runs a quality second-hand furniture showroom to generate income
- Manages a small computer recycling project for people with mental health issues
- Diverts more than 176 tonnes of unwanted household goods from landfill every year via a doorstep collection service
Bromsgrove and Redditch Network 