Wesley Community Furniture Review

Where is it?

Wesley Community Furniture56 – 58 Lloyd Street South

Fallowfield

Manchester

M14 7HT

www.thewesley.org.uk

History

Born in 1993 in Hulme, Wesley Community Furniture was inspired when the Methodist-run Open Door café and advice centre in Moss Side became overwhelmed with donations of furniture at its clothes bank. As a result, a separate, independent furniture project was started.

Eighteen years later and The Wesley, as its affectionately known, has changed an awful lot. From winning a host of awards in 1995/96, and following a temporary spell at the PSV Russell Club, to a move to Fallowfield during Christmas 2001 and receiving lottery funding in 2004.

The project has since returned home, opening a second store in the birthplace of The Wesley, Hulme. But it was the larger, Fallowfield branch that I went to have a look at.

A cabinet at The Wesley

Who shops there?

The primary objective of Wesley Community Furniture is to provide household goods to people in need, but the store is open to anybody who is looking for good value furniture.

Richard, the store manager, said: “About 50 per cent of our customers come from within a one mile radius of the store.”

The Wesley also offers a ‘homestarter’ package for those turned down for £250 or more DWP grant, and are still in great need of household items. These clients can purchase a package at a massively reduced price and have it delivered to their home for free.

In reality, anybody who is looking for a bargain can wander in and stand a good chance of finding something interesting in here.

Where does it all come from?

People from all over Manchester donate the items for sale at The Wesley. It only takes a phone call or email and the staff and volunteers can arrange to pick up donated items free of charge. Locals can also drop their items straight into the store on Lloyd Street South or at the Hulme branch on St Wilfred’s Street.

Sofas from £15

Future

The mission statement is clear: "To work in partnership with others to provide furniture and other household items at the lowest possible prices to those in greatest need in Manchester, to further relieve poverty by providing jobs, volunteering and training opportunities, and to recycle and re-use as much of the material we receive as possible."

Richard says that business has been ok for the last two to three years and, despite running at a small loss for the first six months in 2011, things have started to pick up.

Verdict

Ruud Gullit for 20pDouble beds from £20, sofas from £15, and wardrobes, tables and bookshelves from £10 would convey a picture of a warehouse full of wobbly old pieces from the 70s, but you’d be wrong to assume. I found furniture that was sturdy, well made and in good condition.

The money from the sales goes towards the running of the service, the two buildings, their three vans, and a very small team of staff. The service also uses over 25 volunteers to help keep everything ticking over.

The only downside, and I’m nitpicking here, is the relatively short opening hours. Mon – Fri: 9.30am – 3.30pm and Sat 9.30 – 1pm. However, Richard explained: “When you have a lot of volunteers, some of whom have school children to pick up, you can’t ask them to work eight hour days.”

If you’re the kind of person who likes the idea of buying a piece of furniture of better quality, for a fraction of the price, of say…Ikea, along with the knowledge that your investment has gone to a good charitable cause, then you should check out The Wesley for sure.

I myself picked up Ruud Gullit – Portrait of a genius by Harry Harris – a 1996 biography - for a snip at only 20p. You can’t say fairer than that.

Follow David on Twitter @daymccourt