The Mayor of Hailsham, Councillor Paul Holbrook, took part in a special ceremony to mark the opening of the newly renovated Furniture Now! store in the town centre today [14 March].
Councillor Holbrook was joined by the Member of Parliament for Wealden, Nusrat Ghani, along with the CEO, staff and volunteers of the Now! charity, a community-led organisation operating three furniture shops in the Wealden district and aiming to reduce waste and carbon footprints via reusing and recycling household items.
The new store, located at 9 High Street (opposite the post office), is just a 5-minute walk from their former Hailsham store in North Street, and the team at Now! has been working hard since the middle of 2021 to secure the new high street location. Building works began at the end of last year and they have only used local suppliers throughout the whole renovation process.
The new store is considerably bigger than the former premises, which means they are able to stock a much wider variety of high-quality, low-cost new and used household furniture and appliances, from sofas and dining sets to washing machines and freezers.
The charity continues to grow its range of new and second-hand furniture, electrical appliances and homeware items and the new store not only comes with a beneficial size but also with history, as the premises has listed building status.
Delighted to have been invited to be part of the opening event, Councillor Holbrook said: “Thank you to Michael and his dedicated team for such a warm welcome. Everyone at the Now! charity has worked so hard to acquire and renovate the new shop in the high street – and to get the newly revamped premises looking so beautiful.”
“The Now! charity has built up a good reputation over the 27 years they have been in existence and the team continues to work hard to build on that reputation and improve services and facilities even further, including the opening of this larger and more central Furniture Now! shop.”
Councillor Holbrook added: “There is a need for low cost furniture to help people in the area who can’t always afford new items. The Now! charity, through their chain of Furniture Now! stores in Hailsham, Lewes and Eastbourne, recycle furniture, appliances and other household items donated to them by residents who no longer have a use for them. I’m very impressed by the range of items in stock and thoroughly endorse the work and services of the charity.”
Michael Ryan, Chief Executive Officer of the Now! charity commented: “This project marks a new chapter for Furniture Now! and is a property which embraces the vision for how we wish our offering to be viewed – a central location, easily accessible, with a wide range of low-cost, high-quality furniture and electricals.”
“It has been a great experience to restore the listed building to its former glory and being able to breathe new life into a historical building is a wonderful achievement.”
“Coinciding with this project, we are launching our Sustainable Communities Grant fund. This is a new addition which shall utilise profits generated by Furniture Now! and redistribute these monies via grants to support valuable local projects.”
“The progress of Now! as an organisation has been mapped over the past four years, and we are achieving the simple and effective operating structure we have strove for. The greater Furniture Now! performs in its services, the more we can reinvest back into our communities for the benefit of local people and increase our social value.”
Terry Hall, Communications Officer
Hailsham Town Council, Market Street, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AE
Telephone: 01323 841702 | Email: terry.hall@hailsham-tc.gov.uk