StandFirm combating homelessness and disadvantage
Channel: Gavin Hull
Date: 2015-12-04

StandFirm receive contracts and orders to remove leftover and remaining goods from properties. We clear about 24/25 houses a week. We give all the sound items such as furniture to the Mustard Tree, which is a charity incorporated with us. All the waste is to be sorted here in this warehouse. We are trying to lower the waste taken to the landfill and to sort the reasonable waste like metals, cardboard, rigid plastics, wood. Our primary effort is to fix electric and electronic items and to get them back to the consumer. That is the fundamental idea of recycling in this premises. Another part is to take care of vulnerable people to give them skills and get them back to the job posts.

Mustard Tree was the catalyst for me to get back into the work programme. I was asked to volunteer for StandFirm, which involves void clearances for social and council houses. We managed to win a contract from Northwards Housing to remove their houses of furniture. We up-cycle to bring some items that are reusable to the Mustard Tree, who to be honest are marginalised and can't afford other stuff from department stores; it is perfectly safe and functional.