County Durham Furniture Help Scheme (CDFHS), based in Chilton, has supported people in the Chilton, Ferryhill, Spennymoor, Shildon and Bishop Auckland areas over the course of the pandemic, writes the charity’s CEO, Steve Mitton.
Like every other third sector organisation, we have had our own struggles and hurdles to overcome over the last couple of years. However, we are proud to say that, despite lengthy periods of closure and many staff being on furlough, we still provided our service to those in the direst need across the county. CDFHS, for example, have supported the homeless and rough sleepers in conjunction with teams of support workers from Durham County Council.
We have delivered for this and welfare assistance and humanitarian projects over 1,800 beds, all brand new and made to our order. That’s enough to put to bed two battalions of troops! Due to the still lingering effects of the pandemic and all of us catching Covid just recently, we are now revising our opening hours and we hope to grow in conjunction with the recovery continuing.
We are acutely aware of the effects of the cost-of-living crunch. We are still offering the full range of electrical goods in both new and second hand, brown furniture and soft furnishings. We start at £45 for a two-seater sofa. We can help with discounts for multi-buy purchases, and we will have special offers coming soon on new electrical, for regular customers.
For those spending over £50, we will be offering up to one third off selected new washers, cookers, and fridge freezers – items we will release on occasion over the summer. Keep an eye out on the CDFHS website and our posters and display screens at the units for these “Guerilla Sales” details.
CDFHS stock a range of new beds now by Dreamode. A new single bed costs £100 and a new double cost from £145. CDFHS has revised and expanded its range of pre-loved and used clothing and, with Audrey volunteering and organising this, we have some amazing bargains to grab. We still collect unwanted items, and we are eager to receive the public’s donations of used furniture, clothing and electrical items.
As the dreadful war in Ukraine carries on, we are supporting individuals and family groups from Ukraine who are increasingly arriving in the county. We can’t forget our local supporters and shoppers – hence the bargains coming along.
Ring 01388 721509 to make donations or visit www.cdfhs.org.uk to find details of our offers from May 30th and for the period of the week before and following the Platinum Jubilee: our offers will be amazing.
Opening hours of our store at Unit 20, Avenue 3, Chilton Industrial Estate are: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9am until 3pm and Tuesday and Thursdays from 9am to 1.45pm.
Ferryhill & Chilton's local community newspaper.
