About Us
Mission Statement
Adur Furniture Network’s mission is to relieve poverty by providing good quality inexpensive furniture to people in need, to provide supported voluntary work for vulnerable people and the long term unemployed, to work within equal opportunity guidelines to provide a sustainable community service for local residents and to help prevent waste and reduce landfill.
Values Statement
We all have a responsibility to recycle / reuse redundant furniture enabling people on low & fixed incomes to furnish their homes with good quality items without going into debt. All vulnerable people whether having a physical or mental disability should be given the opportunity to contribute towards a better society, in a supportive and understanding environment, thus giving them the chance to meet and interact with people to enhance their lives.
Community Based
As a community based project we are able to assist and support a diverse selection of people. We operate in an area of multiple deprivation where 25% of West Sussex most multiple deprived wards are in Adur. For example Adur has the highest unemployment in West Sussex, the second highest percentage of lone parents. For Health deprivation seven wards within Adur have been rated within the top 20 most deprived wards in West Sussex.
In 2008 and 2009 we have been able to assist and support many people who have required good quality furniture and white goods. The community has supported our aims with over 7700 customers with 1220 families and individuals who have been referred to us.
Volunteers and benefits
Our experience has shown that for our vulnerable volunteers, volunteering gives them a feeling of being included and not alone, which helps them combat the feeling of isolation, improves their feeling of self worth / self respect, enhances their sense of making a useful contribution to the community and environment and improves both their mental and physical well being.
The following are some quotes from our current volunteers, which illustrates the benefits to them:
“a sense of knowing I belong, as its not easy as a physically disabled person, makes me feel happier in myself knowing I’m doing something worthwhile and helps combat my depression”
“More confidence in meeting people, helping to do useful things”
“I am building up my confidence to deal with the public and hopefully eventually to be able to get back to work”
“being an older volunteer, I find it very gratifying to be able to be there for people with a listening ear, makes me feel useful”
Our History
Adur Furniture Network is a non profiting making organisation registration 28163R, which was set up set as an independent joint initiative by Adur District Council and the Shoreham & District Mental Health Association in May 1993. The organisation grew from very humble beginnings and in 1998 with the assistance of a Lottery grant purchased our warehouse /sales room in Brunswick Road. In June 2006, we opened our second retail outlet called Revival which is also situated in Brunswick Road, Shoreham. In November of 2007, we moved our main operation to 378 / 380 Brighton Rd, Shoreham-by-Sea giving us a higher profile to the general public and enabling us to utilise our warehouse more efficiently. The new shop is on the main road with a regular bus service which stops outside and we have a café next door where you can have a coffee while you contemplate a possible purchase.
The ethos of AFN is to assist people on low and fixed incomes by providing affordable good quality furniture, to provide supported voluntary work and to save goods from going to landfill. We have been a community based project for 17 years and would like to thank all those who have supported us.
In 2008 and 2009 we have been supported by our local community with over 7700 customers of which 1220 have been referrals. In the same period we have saved over 182 metric tonnes of goods from going to landfill, which is good for the environment.
The DETR gives a figure of 441kg of domestic waste produced per person per year. AFN has 5 employees, a project manager, project administrator, project worker, driver and drivers mate, who work on a full and part time basis. We have a number of volunteers registered with us who support and donate hundreds of hours of their time each year.
Volunteers give as much or as little time to the project as they see fit – we have many people who come in once or twice a week or even just for a morning. We value all our volunteers for their dedication, support and for making AFN an enjoyable environment to be in.
AFN Ltd has been a member of the Furniture Re-Use Network (FRN) since we first set up trading. The FRN is the national body which supports, assists and develops charitable re-use organisations across the UK.
Our Directors and Accounts
You can download a copy of our latest accounts here in pdf format here. You will need to have a pdf reader installed on your comptere to read it. You can install Adobe Reader by clicking on the icon
Adur Furniture Network Limited accounts
