Job successes

Pete joined our team two months ago. He was made redundant over 12 months ago, after 25 years in the same job.

Volunteering showed that Pete preferred being active and working hard rather than staying at home, and proved he could adapt to a new workplace. Pete got a job after just a few weeks with us. He said that volunteering with us boosted his confidence and helped him over the final hurdle of getting a job.

Katie had been looking for work for 3 years before she joined us as a volunteer at the reception in our Priory Meadow store earlier this year. Getting back into work after taking time out to look after young children can be really hard, especially if you need work that will fit in around school hours and holidays.

Katie built up her confidence and worked with Angie to update her CV and fill in applications. Katie was ecstatic to get a job interview … then became extremely nervous. Practicing suitable answers that explained her relevant experience helped, and she was offered the job at her first interview.

Katie says “If it wasn’t for you guys I would not have got this perfect job, thank you so much”

Max started volunteering with us 3 months ago. He has been looking for a job in IT since he left college a year ago. Not having anything to do, Max had shut himself away at home and he was very quiet. He had become isolated and felt he had no confidence.

Max worked well with the team and started to gain confidence. He is a very intelligent, articulate young man. He has been offered a job with a local Council’s IT department. He says that if he hadn’t come to us to volunteer that he would still be stuck in his bedroom.

Read more about volunteering at hfs

WoW van

Our Workshop on Wheels (WoW van) will be back out on the road in the Spring, ready to offer free skills sessions to local community groups, thanks to a generous donation from the Mason Charitable Foundation.

The van is equipped with workbenches and tools so we can provide short workshops anywhere in Hastings and Rother.

We have helped community groups undertake their own projects such as restoring benches in a community garden, making raised beds or decorating.

We can also provide a short course for members of your community group. The Oasis Community Project based at Ore Community Centre, for example, used their time with the WoW van to learn furniture restoration.

Visit the WoW van page.

Interested in booking a WoW van visit for your group? Get in touch with Angie Lowe at angie@hfs.org.uk to find out more about what’s on offer.

Not all

We couldn’t collect, reuse and deliver over 300 tonnes of furniture and electrical goods every year without our team of amazing volunteers like Dan.

Dan is volunteering at HFS Bexhill while he is looking for work.

Store Manager Gerald says “Since he started volunteering, Dan has gained the experience and confidence to play a full part in the team. He’s a real asset for us, helping out with collections and deliveries, and also helping in the store. It’s great to see people like Dan join us and develop their skills so they can move on into work.”

Be like Dan! If you can spare a few hours, we need more volunteers at both stores most days, including Saturdays. Find out more about volunteering here.

Volunteers get into work

Congratulations to our volunteers Sam and Mark (pictured in front of van) who have both been offered jobs at Combe Haven Holiday Park.

Sam has been volunteering at our Hastings store since the start of the year, and his eventual goal is to join the army. We wish him every success.

Mark, on the other hand, is not saying a final farewell to us yet, as he will continue to volunteer on the days when he’s not working at Combe Haven.

Looking for a route back into paid employment? Read more about volunteering with HFS here.

paint brushes, crafts, courses

New course dates

paint brushes, crafts, coursesBook your place today for our free / low-cost workshops in Hastings & Bexhill. We are offering:

Furniture Restoration 

Beginners Carpentry

Advanced Carpentry

Paint Effects on furniture

Mixed Crafts with upcycled materials

Upholstery for Beginners

Our workshops are a great place to learn new, practical skills in a small friendly group. All courses are 20 hours, over either 4 or 6 days, and usually run on the same day each week.

Course dates, fees and more info here.

five in a fortnight

Five of our volunteers have got jobs in the last fortnight – huge congratulations to Dave (pictured), Max, Paul, John and Richard!

It’s great to see people getting on so well and moving on into work, and it means we now have vacancies for more people to join our team.  So if you are looking to take a step back to work, why not volunteer at HFS?

More info about volunteering

get creative!

 

 

 

 

 

Learn skills and make items to take home with pride!

Small supportive groups of adults—no experience needed.

Tools & materials provided.

 

Mixed Crafts   Tues 4th April   6 mornings 10-1.30   Hastings

Carpentry    Thurs 13th April    6 mornings 10-1.30   Bexhill

Upholstery    Weds 19th April   6 mornings 10-1.30  Hastings

Mixed Crafts   Thursday 11th May   6 mornings 10-1.30  Hastings

Shabby Chic Paint Effects    Tues 9th May     6 mornings 10-1.30  Hastings

Furniture Restoration     Thurs 25th May     6 mornings 10-1.30  Bexhill

Upholstery     Saturday 27th May   4 days 10-3      Hastings

 

Course fees are £60 per course. Free for people in receipt of means-tested benefits.

Pay a refundable deposit to book your place.

Read more.

craft workshop at Hastings Furniture Service

Crafty workshops for 2017

craft workshop at Hastings Furniture ServiceOur 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.

Read more about the courses and how to book. 

learners admire their finished furniture restoration

Come to our wellmaking workshops!

DSC00634People have been really enjoying our Wellmaking Workshops – 6 sessions of creative fun, learning new skills and making friends.

Comments so far: “I think the workshops have really boosted my wellbeing. I feel much more confident and look forward to coming out to the workshop each week. I’m very proud of what I’ve made.”

There are more workshops coming up in DIY Essentials, Paint Effects and Carpentry so book your place now!

Read more

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