Happy New Year
We’re back!
HFS stores have re-opened for the New Year. Our opening times are:
Mon-Thurs 9.30-4.30
Fri 9.30-4
Sat 10-3
We are really looking forward to helping you furnish your homes and offices in 2018.
Crafty workshops for 2017
Our happy new prices prozac online, year starts with some wonderful workshops.
Join a small group and get creative at one of our workshops in Hastings or Bexhill.
Starting in January:
Decoupage – starts Tues 10th
Furniture Restoration – starts Weds 11th
Carpentry for beginners – starts Thurs 12th
Paint Effects – starts Fri 13th
These courses run for 4-6 weeks and are open to anyone. Free if your household receive a means-tested benefit or working tax credits.
Happy Holidays!
Our fantastic team is having a holiday from 24th December to the 2nd January, so our stores will be closed on those dates.
We will re-open on Tuesday 3rd January at 9.30 – look forward to seeing you all then!
Xmas T-shirt fund-raiser
Domestic Extremist t-shirt design
Philosophy Football has teamed up with Mark Thomas to launch a fund-raising t-shirt for HFS.
Mark has nominated the The Hastings Furniture Service (HFS) for this year’s Philosophy Football fundraising tee. A simple, yet revolutionary idea, take unwanted but good quality furniture and help those on low incomes and benefits fit out a home.
Domestic extremism? The HFS is a great response to the consequences of the extremities of domestic crisis including homelessness.
Philosophy Football will donate £5 per shirt sold to the Hastings Furniture Service, or if you purchase at the Christmas Solidarity price and they will double the donation made to £10.
Can we raise £1000 by Xmas? With your support we surely can.
Volunteering Award for Ruban
Hastings Voluntary Action gives “against all odds” awards for volunteers who have overcome their own challenges to help others through volunteering. The awards were established in memory of Fran McKeown who worked for HVA and was an enthusiastic campaigner for community action.
Ruban Shanmuganathan was nominated by HFS for this award. Ruban contracted meningitis leaving him with memory and language problems. He also has arthritis in one hand, giving him a condition known as claw hand. Ruban has been living at the brain injury rehabilitation unit and making a good recovery. Volunteering at HFS has become part of his recovery programme this year.
Starting out with one day per week in March, Ruban became more committed to his physiotherapy exercises because he wanted to be able to do more at HFS. He now helps move furniture in the prozac online drug store, takes apart and mends small items. We have seen huge improvements in his communication and confidence, feeling part of the team. He is also gaining better use of his hand by carefully lifting and carrying items with the support of the team.
The rehabilitation centre has also noted the improvements which make having his physiotherapy (which he hates!) a little easier.
Ruban now volunteers with HFS 2 days a week and plans to increase this soon because he wants to give more back to the community. We are very proud and thankful to have Ruban as one of our volunteers.
Would you like to volunteer with HFS? Read more about volunteering here.
The photo shows Ruban with his award (a work of art by Linda Coad at SCCH), with Cllr Nigel Sinden from our Board of Trustees on the left and our volunteer support worker Angie Lowe on the right.
Comedy talk raises over £700
We are really grateful to our patron, Mark Thomas, for offering to give a talk for HFS at St Mary in the Castle. Mark is a steadfast supporter of HFS and it’s fantastic for a local charity to have such a committed and active patron.
Mark says “Dealing with the very unsexy issue of providing furniture for poor people, HFS is a magnificent group.”
The event was a huge success and the capacity audience enjoyed Mark’s talk about his career, comedy, mischief and campaigning.
Mark also asked HFS to run a stall at his Red Shed show in the evening and his lovely audience donated generously to both HFS and the Orgreave Justice Campaign.
Altogether the day raised over £700 which will help us equip our new “Workshop on Wheels” van – more of this soon!
Carpentry course starting soon
Learn how to use tools safely and make some items from scratch from reused bed-slats. If you have a carpentry project idea in mind, get it done with advice from our expert Ron.
Starts Weds 16th November and runs for 6 weeks 10-1 at HFS Bexhill.
This is a Community Learning course. The fee is £60 but if your household receives means-tested benefits or working tax credits it is FREE.
Mark Thomas talk for HFS
Mark is coming to Hastings on 9th November.
Our afternoon event will be a talk about comedy, art, politics and mischief in the St Marys Cafe and Bar, followed by a Q & A. All proceeds to HFS.
Mark is performing his award-winning Red Shed show in the auditorium in the evening too – don’t miss it.
Tickets for the afternoon talk are £10 and all proceeds go to HFS. Tickets are available and from the SMIC box office in person.
Have a Crafty Christmas
Our Crafty Christmas course starts on 8th November at the Hastings workshop. 6 weeks of handmade fun including making garlands, snowflakes and lots of other seasonal stuff. We reuse and recycle lots of materials in our workshops.
The workshops provide a way to learn new skills and spend time with a small supportive group of people, boosting confidence, self-esteem and wellbeing.
Our workshops are free and include materials, use of our tools and so on. You simply pay £5 deposit when you book your place and this is refunded as long as you attend.
New job vacancy at hfs
We have a new job: Marketing and Promotions Officer
Our new Marking and Promotions Officer will be working to promote HFS and all our services.
Apply by 28th October
