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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Ashlie Blakey

Inside the hidden backstreet warehouse where amazing household items are a fraction of the price

A two-seater sofa for £45, a huge oak-style dresser for £80 and a fully-operational Bosch washing machine for £130.

These are just some of the bargains we spotted inside a hidden furniture warehouse in Bolton.

Walk inside the unit on Lecturers Close and there are rows and rows of sofas, beds and wardrobes.

There are dozens of kitchen appliances including washing machines, cookers, fridges and freezers.

Bosch, Hoover and Indesit are some of the top-of-the-range brands on display.

Some items are new and some are pre-used, but all are in good condition and are sold at a fraction of the retail price.

In one corner of the unit is a paint station - with litre tins of paint worth up to £40 sold for £2 or £3.

Electricals and domestic appliances inside the warehouse (Manchester Evening News)

Read more of today's top stories here

The Bolton Community Transport and Furniture Services (BCTFS) warehouse is a bargain-hunters dream.

General manager Diane Firth, 55, from Bolton, said the best thing about it is the choice of items on offer. 

"This place is unusual. You can buy a sofa for £30 or £300. It's all about offering people that choice," Diane said.

"People who come here a lot of the time have fallen on hard times. But they can come here and find things on their budget.

"We get people coming in on low incomes, people coming in looking for a bargain. We get people who are upcycling."

Office manager Karen Henderson, left, and general manager Diane Firth (Manchester Evening News)

But behind the cheap furniture and bargains, this warehouse runs with a purpose.

BCTFS is a registered charity that is all about helping the community.

The majority of items are donated by members of the public and then collected by the charity.

Operations are run by a mixture of paid staff and volunteers.

New and used sofas and armchairs on sale for as little as £30 (Manchester Evening News)

Profits from the sale of furniture go towards a community minibus service for those in need.

"Any surplus we make supports our four minibuses that do trips and excursions in the area," Diane added.

"They are for anybody in a group, it could be a school, a formal group, a nursing home, residential homes.

"We take them on days out or out for lunch and things like that. It's benefiting a lot of people."

The charity sells paint for as a little as £2 per litre (Manchester Evening News)

The charity welcomes volunteers looking for work experience in the warehouse or driving the vans.

It's currently advertising for two free courses - one to gain a minibus driving qualification and another in warehouse training.

The charity works with local organisations to offer help and support to those that need it most.

Diane said: "Our aim is to try and help the elderly, disabled and young people. We deal with a lot of other organisations in the Bolton area.

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Large oak dresser on sale for £145 (Manchester Evening News)

"We work with Bolton at Home, Endeavour, with young people. The paint is sold as part of a community paint scheme.

"People refer individuals to us who are experiencing financial hardship."

The warehouse is open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm.

Click here for more information.

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