A charity that provides low-cost household furniture and items, boosts recycling and provides training opportunities is set to benefit from improved facilities as part of proposals being negotiated by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

The proposals, which were approved in principle by the council’s Cabinet on Tuesday 16 September, would see the future of the Community Furniture Project and the people that rely on it secured for the next 15 years.

This would be through potentially selling the Joule Road premises that the charity operates from to the Greenham Trust, subject to their Board approval,  for less than the open market value on the basis that this would bring economic, social and environmental benefits to the area and its residents.

Under the proposals, being negotiated with the potential buyer, planning permission would be applied for to redevelop the buildings at Joule Road, including providing an improved home for the Community Furniture Project.

Community Furniture Project, which is part of the Newbury Community Resource Centre, helps local people by operating a furniture and household goods donation scheme, helping those on low incomes to purchase furniture at no or low cost as well as keeping items out of the waste stream. It also provides training opportunities for adults with complex learning disabilities, people living with mental health challenges, those who are long-term unemployed and young people not in mainstream education.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s Co-Leader Cllr Gavin James, who is Cabinet Member for Property and Finance, said: “Turning a property into a home can be a challenge for those on low incomes, especially those setting up their first home.

“The Community Furniture Project has made its home at Joule Road for over 20 years and plays a crucial role in supporting those families and is a much-valued service the whole borough. It provides vital training opportunities for vulnerable residents and plays an important part in managing our waste by giving second-hand furniture a new lease of life. For these reasons, we wanted to explore how best to secure its future and ensure they can continue to provide their life changing services for years to come.”

Find out more about the Community Furniture Project here: https://www.n-c-r-c.org/community-furniture-project-basingstoke/