NHCVS Furniture Link Recycling Project - Background
The North Hertfordshire Centre for Voluntary Services (NHCVS) is a registered Charity (Charity no 1097796) and Limited Company (No 4693569). It has a board of directors managed by a chairperson as well as an executive director who oversees the project on their behalf. NHCVS has overall responsibility for the Furniture Link Scheme and has successfully managed it for the past 9 years.
Furniture Link was originally started in 1992 by ‘The Lions’. They established that there was a need within the community of North Hertfordshire for low cost furniture to be sold to those on benefit or low income. This venture, although very small, proved to be very successful and in 1999 management of the project was taken over by the CVS. They successfully obtained Lottery funding and a rent-free warehouse from Letchworth Heritage Foundation enabling them to expand the project.
North Hertfordshire is a wealthy area but has pockets of deprivation such as the Westmill Estate in Hitchin, Jackmans and Westbury estates in Letchworth. The estates have a large population of families and single parents receiving benefit.
After six years of Lottery funding the project moved to its current location in Saunders Close to increase its available floor space. It was successful in being awarded CRED (Community Recyling and Economic Development Programme) funding which finished in December 2007. The project now relies solely on its earnt income to continue its valuable work. They continue to receive a grant from the Letchworth Heritage Foundation which contributes towards the rent of the premises.
The project employs a fulltime manager, Martin Hehir, and a part time loader/driver and has a number of valuable volunteers.