York furniture charity gets a boost through council-funded scheme

Through a partnership between City of York Council and York Centre for Voluntary Services (CVS), charities working to support residents across the city can access expert support to tackle challenges and maximise their social impact.

One of the charities that has benefited from the project is York Community Furniture Stores (CFS), which has tackled furniture and digital poverty across North Yorkshire for over three decades by collecting pre-loved home furnishings and selling them back to the community at an affordable price, with additional discounts availble for those on means-tested benefits.

Through the Organisational Health Check programme, supported by the council through the nationwide UK Shared Prosperity Fund, York charities can access the services of freelance, expert consultants to take a detailed look at all aspects of their organisation and understand which areas could be improved. They then work with the consultants on issues that could include fundraising, HR, structure and governance, and develop strategies to help the charities run more smoothly, become more cost-effective and build future resilience in the face of the challenges currently facing the voluntary sector.

York CFS initially sought help with a merger process, combining their three branches in York, Selby and Scarborough, but through working with Adrian Ashton, a consultant specialising in voluntary sector governance, developed a broader plan for the organisation’s future.

Speaking in a new video celebrating the project, Katy Ridsdill-Smith, CEO of York CFS, explained:

“What I thought would be a relatively straightforward project – merging the three charities into one – has transformed into a larger organisational change programme which will include a rebrand, the launch of a bold anti-poverty strategy and a new organisational structure.

“The support has enabled to us to think critically about the level of support we provide to our local communities and how we can be more effective in our work. It’s a really exciting time for CFS!”

Alison Semmence, Chief Executive of York CVS, said:

"Our work with York Community Furniture Store provides an excellent example of how the partnership has enabled us to connect voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) sector organisations in York with specialist expertise, to not only support the sector’s ability to navigate challenges, but so that organisations can seize opportunities, grow their impact, and continue to deliver meaningful change across our city."

Cllr Pete Kilbane, Executive Member for Economy and Culture at City of York Council, said:

 “Like so many of York’s voluntary organisations, York Community Furniture Store plays a vital role in supporting the whole community, especially those  who need great quality furniture at an affordable price.

“Through this partnership with York CVS, who are experts in our city’s voluntary sector, we’re delighted to have helped organisations like York CFS become more resilient and run more efficiently, meaning they’ll be better able to support our communities for years to come.”

To find out more about how York CFS benefited from the scheme, watch our video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk5hvOroZb8