Meet the members: Furniture Reuse

Welcome to our new member spotlight series, ‘Meet the members’. In this series, we’ll be shining a light on our wonderfully diverse network of charity members who are each making positive changes in their local communities by reusing furniture and electrical appliances.  

We’ll be sharing the stories behind the charities and introducing some of the fantastic people who are working to create a society where everyone can create a sustainable home. 

First up in the series is Newham-based organisation, Furniture Reuse! We caught up with CEO Emelda Harwood to hear about how the charity is providing a vital link for local people needing affordable and sustainable items for their homes. 

Empowering the community through reuse 

Furniture Reuse is a black female-led organisation set up by Emelda Harwood in 2023 to empower people in the local community through volunteering, employment opportunities, and the provision of furniture and food.  

The organisation is committed to providing the local community with the best pre-loved furniture shopping experience possible. As many of its local customers will already know, Furniture Reuse is a community hub, providing a space for people to find good quality furniture for their home. 

Speaking on how the project started, Emelda said, ‘I previously worked for an organisation that had a similar business model, which closed during the pandemic. Whilst there I gained a wealth of experience in the sector of waste minimisation and non-profit enterprise. 

This led me to ask one of the board members and two of my previous colleagues if they would join me if I ventured out alone. I was fortunate to get the mentorship of said board member whose advice was and still is greatly valued.  

I secured a warehouse in Maryland, Stratford, London and myself and our small team set to work in providing quality secondhand furniture that is affordable which is paramount during the current cost of living crisis.” 

As well as reusing furniture, Emelda and her team run a foodbank to help tackle food poverty in the area. “We collaborate with City Harvest who generously donate food. This allows us to hold a surplus food project every Wednesday run by our wonderful volunteers and this massively helps local households struggling with access to food”, Emelda shared. 

Why reuse matters 

Emelda and her team go beyond providing furniture and work to educate the community on the need to consume less and reduce our carbon footprint to protect the environment. 

“Our goal is to provide a one-stop service where the local community can purchase a variety of homeware products, which would normally end up in landfill.  

We were also very keen to demonstrate to residents in the borough the importance of upcycling and repairing items. We hold repair workshops and

 upholstery demonstrations in conjunction with Newham Council, which brings people together who may feel isolated living in a big city, as well as aiding them in learning new skills.  

Providing affordable, quality secondhand furniture is very much needed during the current cost of living crisis. Becoming a member of Reuse Network helped greatly in doing this, as we can connect with more people and obtain great pieces of preloved furniture and give them a new home.” Emelda explained. 

A small team with a big heart 

Furniture reuse is made up of a small team of four permanent members of staff and four incredible volunteers who support running the food bank, providing customer service, and preparing stock to go on the website. 

Emelda recalls a story about one of the volunteers supporting Furniture Reuse, “One of our current volunteers came in as a customer 6 months ago. He is a single father of two teenagers and unfortunately lost his wife two years ago. After buying a desk for his son he enquired about volunteering as he said the atmosphere at Furniture Reuse was warm and welcoming. Two months later we were awarded a pop-up shop through Newham Council’s environmental team and when I asked him if he would like to work there as a paid member of staff, he was so excited. We had the space over the summer and have now closed it, but he insisted on returning as a volunteer. These are the people that make Furniture Reuse such a gem in the community!” 

Furniture Reuse is open Tuesday – Saturday and is based at Unit 2 Maryland Industrial Estate, 26 Maryland Road, Stratford, London, E15 1JW. Take a visit today! 

Check them out online here: https://furniturereuse.co.uk/