We’d like to say a big thank you to furniture manufacturer and retailer DFS for donating £200,000 worth of sofas, armchairs and footstools to help Crisis members across the UK feel at home.
When people experiencing homelessness move into their accommodation, it is often unfurnished. Over the past two years, DFS has been working tirelessly to provide Crisis members with furniture to help create a welcoming and comfortable environment in their new homes.
DFS asked Crisis members to advise of their preferred style and colour of sofa, before working with Crisis Managers to source and match furniture to each member’s individual preference as closely as possible, ensuring that each member received an item they liked and that suited their accommodation.
We are delighted to share that DFS was able to provide 187 Crisis members across the UK with furniture, donating 263 items in total.
Speaking about the donations, a Lead Worker at South Wales Skylight said:
“The sofa my member received was of very good quality and they are so thankful to DFS. It means a lot to them, as they would have been sitting on plastic garden chairs otherwise. Being able to snuggle up on a sofa makes a huge difference to how homely a room feels!"
Working with award-winning documentary film-maker Alice Aedy, DFS also created two short films about the partnership, which tell the stories of two Crisis members Sylmarine and John, and highlight the importance of having a place to call home. You can watch the videos here and here.
Emma Liasides from DFS, who led the donations programme said:
“We are very proud to have supported 187 Crisis members across the UK with a donation of furniture. Having a comfortable home is incredibly important for our physical and mental wellbeing, and it was our pleasure to be able to match Crisis members with items to help furnish their new accommodation. We’d like to extend our thanks to Annika Heinrich and all of the managers at Crisis for supporting the matching of each member with their preferred style of product, and to Alice Aedy for the powerful films telling the stories of two Crisis members and the importance of the work that Crisis undertakes.”
Thank you to Emma and everyone at DFS for making these donations possible.