Thousands of pieces of furniture that formerly belonged to organisations including the BBC and NatWest have been given to hospitals and sheltered accommodation providers in a bid to help during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bristol-based Collecteco, which redistributes furniture such as tables and chairs that are no longer needed by other businesses, has donated 4,000 items worth more than £200k.
The items have been donated to NHS trusts including Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, which has used donated desks, pedestals and swivel chairs in its emergency centre, and the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, which is using donated seating for staff.
In South Wales, Boomerang Cardiff, a charity that supports homeless people, is using donations of mattresses and fridges to help those in temporary accommodation.
Collecteco founder Steve Sliney said: “During the pandemic we have shifted our focus to donating kit to NHS trusts, emergency and social services, homeless charities and other frontline services to aid in the fight against Covid19.
"We are all passionate about reuse and recycling and that has never been more important than now, and thanks to the generosity of the companies we work with we’re helping people that really need our support.”
Steve launched the company in 2005 after being inspired to start the business while working in the recycling industry and seeing how much good-quality commercial furniture and equipment was being sent to landfill.
Since then the business, which is part of the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator Programme, has worked with companies to donate more than one million items worth £50million to good causes across the country.
Paul Edwards, chair of the NatWest South West Board, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Collecteco. Steve and his team are working tirelessly to help others and the positive impact the business is having on the environment through its recycling programme is huge.
"This coupled alongside the good causes it is supporting aligns so much to what we are trying to achieve as a purpose led bank.”
