Unwanted office furniture finds sustainable new home

• Thornton & Ross has donated over 50 items to date of office furniture such as desks, chairs, and filling cabinets.
• The donation is a collaboration between Third Sector Leaders (TSL), Kirklees Council, Green Building Store and Thornton & Ross.
• This collaboration sees private industry, not-for-profit and local government working together with local charities and business to donate good-quality office furniture as the company upgrades its office facilities as part of its commitment to the area.

How do you find a good home for your office furniture that is being upgraded?  That was the challenge faced on a grand scale by Thornton and Ross as it starts its company expansion and the upgrade of its facilities in Linthwaite. Keen to find a good home for some still very good-quality furniture, the company reached out to the local community with the help of its valued partner Kirklees Council.  

With the advice of the Hilary Thompson the Chair of Third Sector Leaders (TSL) Kirklees a local charity who provide free advice and support to local charities and community groups, Hilary and her team found several opportunities for Thornton & Ross to donate furniture as part of the company’s sustainability agenda as well as meeting its purpose of Caring for People’s Health as a Trusted Partner.

Hilary said ‘It’s really important for us all to work together in Kirklees to support local people and communities, and it’s great when a household name, like Thornton and Ross, gets on board with that too.  

‘As a local charity that supports the third sector in Kirklees, it’s been our pleasure to partner with them to get this offer out to local groups.  And it’s fantastic that so many have benefitted – from Hive Community - a brand new social enterprise in Huddersfield town center assisting young people and adults with learning difficulties through their café and ‘safe space’, to Grassroots who put on family activities in Batley.  Plus, huge thanks to the Pass It On team from Yorkshire Children’s Centre who’ve been using their charity shop van to pick up and deliver the furniture.

‘There are lots of ways that local businesses can get involved in supporting community groups and charities in their area, from volunteering time or skills, fundraising or sponsorship, or as in this case, donating unwanted goods, furniture, or kit.  If you have a similar offer or want to know how your company can get involved and boost its CSR, you can talk to our TSL Kirklees Volunteering team volunteer@tslkirklees.org.uk

Another partner was Green Building Store www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk, a specialist company with 25 years’ experience of providing low energy Passivhaus homes and building solutions, offering a range of products and services from triple glazed windows to MVHR heat recovery ventilation.  Green Building Store, and its wider company group Efficient Building Solutions, is based at Heath House Mill in Bolster Moor near Golcar and will be putting the furniture to use in their new expanding office requirements. 

Chayley Collis, Communications Manager for Green Building Store commented: 

“A big thank you to Thornton & Ross for recycling their office furniture. We are the grateful recipients of a variety of desks, chairs, and other office furniture for our expanding offices at Heath House Mill, which is just up the hill from Thornton and Ross’ headquarters in Linthwaite. 

Being able to re-use pre-loved office furniture very much fits in with our environmental ethos and goals to continually reduce our environmental impact. It’s been a great example of mutual support between Huddersfield companies and re-use and recycling in action.”

Finally, Kirklees Council a long-standing partner of Thornton & Ross, which has a strategic focus that combines a strong, sustainable economy with a great quality of life - leading to thriving communities, growing businesses, high prosperity, and low inequality where people enjoy better health throughout their lives.

For Thornton & Ross, Roger Scarlett-Smith EVP UK & USA said:

“This is a collaboration that enables us not only to support local charities and the community, but also to ensure that we play our part in sustainable development. We value our relationship with Kirklees Council and hope that we can build on and develop this partnership which supports the council in its overall sustainability agenda. By working with others as a trusted partner, we can reduce our impact on the environment and act in a socially responsible manner.””