East Sussex charity celebrates 30th birthday with family-friendly fun day at Climate Hub

The charity opened its doors in 1995 and helps people to reuse and recycle spare furniture and homeware. Their goal is to keep hundreds of people in East Sussex out of ‘furniture poverty’.

The charity is hosting a free celebration day full of music, family activities and furniture upcycling demonstrations at Lewes Climate Hub, 32 High Street, on Saturday, June 28.

Furniture Now’s interim CEO Sarah Hinks said: “Furniture Now! has become a deeply-loved fixture of Sussex life over the past three decades. Over that time, thousands of people have come to rely on it, both to find a new home for items they no longer need and find what they do need for their homes at affordable prices.”

She said: “All the Furniture Now team are so proud of what the charity has done to reduce waste and landfill, tackle need, and inspire so many people to find the joy of reusing and recycling household items. We warmly invite everyone to come and celebrate with us on Saturday, browse some bargains, learn some furniture upcycling tips and enjoy some brilliant live music.”

Furniture Now was the brainchild of Johnny Denis and Duncan Thompson, the directors of local co-operative Common Cause. They started it by collecting unwanted furniture, appliances and household goods with a former milkfloat so they could redistribute items to people in need.

The charity now works with council housing teams, charities and other groups and has stores in Lewes, Eastbourne and Hailsham. It also has a community shed where volunteer participants upcycle and repair donated items to sell in the stores. Furniture Now also runs a discount scheme with more than 600 household items supplied directly to 214 vulnerable families in 2024.