Everyone’s a winner as Merlin teams up with Sofa Project
11 Aug 2008
Merlin Housing Society has donated £1,000 to a not-for-profit social enterprise to help it provide affordable furniture for residents across South Gloucestershire.
Merlin has recently started working with Bristol-based Sofa Project to enable its residents to take advantage of discounted new and second-hand furniture. Sofa Project sources furniture and electrical items from both residential donors and commercial partners which in many cases would otherwise have ended up at landfill and recycles them.
Sofa Project’s Marketing Manager Lucy Pitt has been working with Merlin to promote the service to residents, and explain how further discounts can be accessed. Sofa Project will also help Merlin better manage furniture which is left behind in properties when tenants leave, by collecting items to be recycled and where possible reused.
Lucy said: “We are grateful for the funding provided by Merlin Housing Society and are delighted to be working in partnership with them. As well as providing affordable furniture for tenants, re-use projects offer excellent value for money for Merlin and at the same time helps the environment by diverting tonnes of waste material from landfill.
“It’s a win-win partnership. Merlin residents get the chance to buy good value furniture and Merlin improves its local community interaction. We receive access to more customers and donated furniture and the environment wins because the amount of rubbish going to landfill is reduced.”
Merlin’s Neighbourhood Services Manager Jack Bailey added: “We were happy to provide funding for Sofa Project, as they provide a valuable service, which helps vulnerable tenants avoid getting into additional debt by providing lower cost furniture. Financial inclusion is high on our agenda this year and we see working with Sofa Project as part of our wider strategy.
“We know it can be a struggle for some people to furnish their property after they have moved in. New tenants will receive information about Sofa Project’s enterprise and the new furniture packs available and then go and have a look at whether they like any of the furniture that is available at any time.
“The partnership could also potentially save us money by reducing the amount of waste we send to landfill, while at the same time boosting our green credentials by increasing our levels of recycling. It also means that other Merlin residents can benefit by using furniture that has been left behind by others.”