From small ideas to big impact: Fiona Robson’s Furniture Reuse revolution

Sometimes, the smallest ideas have the biggest impact, which is exactly the case with the Furniture Reuse Initiative.  

We caught up with Fiona Robson, Social Impact Coordinator at Places for People Scotland, to hear how a small idea in 2022 has had a huge impact on Customers and the local Community and transformed her role. 

A small idea with a big impact 

“Our Managing Director, Tom Norris, visited SPACE in 2022, and we discussed, amongst other things, how we always share items looking for homes with our Customers. I joked that I could rehome most things and loved to recycle and upcycle!” Fiona told us.

“A few weeks later, Tom mentioned that he had some items that needed a new home and suggested that some of our Customers might like them if they were moving into one of our properties- and the rest, they say, is history!”

“I set about working out how we could store, deliver and gain donations,” Fiona explained. Much of the initiative was born of her quick thinking and a fair amount of chance! “As it happens, we also had some show homes at the time that were all sold, and there was a massive number of brand-new items looking for homes/storage, so we had our first lot of items.  We had a couple of voids here at SPACE, and before I knew it, three show homes’ worth of furniture landed that week.  I didn’t even have a plan in place, but little did I know then just how much this would change my job!”

Connecting with the Community 

The initiative has provided much-needed support to Customers who have faced challenging circumstances, helping them to settle into their new homes. “A lot of our Customers have come from either homeless shelters or perhaps have had to flee due to domestic abuse and have had to leave their old homes suddenly and are unable to take anything with them,” Fiona explained. “There have been many emotional occasions as Customers share their stories with me. I have learned over the past two years that not every situation is the same even when it appears like that on paper.”

The initiative has also been incredibly meaningful for Fiona and her team, who have shown remarkable resilience, enabling them to go above and beyond for Customers beyond their usual remit. “A lot of the time, we only spend about ten minutes talking about the furniture; the rest of the time, Customers just want to share their stories. It’s good to be able to offer a listening ear and some support and guidance, to show that we care and that they’re not alone in whatever they’re going through.”

She told us about a family of six who had faced the catastrophic loss of their home and belongings in a fire and how the initiative transformed their lives.

“They lost almost everything, they were able to gain access to the property once it was safe to do so and managed to rescue some of their personal belongings, but they had a very traumatic experience,” she recalled. 

“They were living in a hotel for weeks until we could find them another property close by that was large enough and luckily had enough beds in the initiative as well as other items to furnish their temporary home.  Their son, who is autistic and doesn’t communicate with strangers, spoke to me and asked me if he could have a picture for his room.  Not sure who was more surprised, me or the family! He got his picture to take with him. To this day, I think this was definitely one of the most memorable and emotional viewings, and it’s stayed with me.”

Going from strength to strength

The initiative could not continue without the hard work of Fiona’s team, especially Leonah Jones and Laura King. As receptionists at SPACE, they keep the initiative running, organising deliveries, pick-ups, Customers and external organisations. 

“Mine and Leonah’s main role is to greet Customers who come into the Furniture Initiative. Some can be nervous or anxious so we like to greet them warmly in hopes it helps to make them feel welcome. Some tell us their stories, and we try to just listen without judgement, some are heartbreaking,” Laure told us, “then Fiona takes them to the units and they pick out their goods. When they see us on the way out, they’re usually looking way more relaxed and so thankful that we provide this service!”

The scope of the initiative has grown beyond anything Fiona and her team could have imagined. So far, it has helped over 250 Customers and rehomed 3432 items of furniture and homeware. “There are actually so many moving stories and I spent the first probably 6 months being very emotional after each appointment, I don’t have more than a snapshot of Customers’ circumstances unless it’s for information around the viewing and if Customers wish to share with me that’s absolutely fine.”

With over 22 million pieces of furniture ending up in UK landfills annually, the Furniture Reuse Initiative is not just a service for Customers, but a crucial step towards waste reduction and sustainability.  

The Initiative has also effectively bought the Community together in Edinburgh, including Colleagues, Customers and external organisations. Fiona shared how “Customers, friends, staff, and suppliers have all donated items to the Initiative. I get referrals from Colleagues in Housing, New Lettings, Financial Inclusion, Business Partners and then I contact the Customer and arrange for them to come and view, if possible, otherwise I do it by Facetime, WhatsApp or by phone/text whichever format works best for the Customer.” The furniture is even delivered via a local family-run removal firm, in keeping with the Community spirit of the initiative. 

Looking to the future

With the initiative going from strength to strength, what are Fiona’s plans for the future?  

“Our wish is to have a different, more flexible space to accommodate the initiative along with the starter packs, as they go hand in hand. It would save us time and money if we could have somewhere big enough to take in more donations, as we are somewhat limited with the space, albeit gratefully, that we currently have.” 

It is People like Fiona, Laura and Leonah who go above and beyond who create strong and supportive Communities. The Furniture Reuse Initiative has helped Customers to turn their properties into homes, whilst bringing the Community together and giving unloved furniture a new lease of life! We are excited to see the initiative continue to grow and support more Customers around Scotland.