Falmouth rolls out community furniture donations

Community organisations have benefitted from furniture donations from Falmouth's campuses as part of the University's commitment to sustainability.

The working habits of University staff at Falmouth and Penryn campuses had to change significantly as COVID-19 pandemic restrictions were put into effect in March 2020.

In order to create a safe environment for staff, furniture was taken out of working spaces to ensure social distancing policies could be observed.

But as restrictions lifted and office workers began to return to work, many praised the less cluttered office style.

Rather than simply throw away the unwanted furniture, the FXPlus Caretaking team set to work to find new homes for it at community organisations and schools in Cornwall.

Lynn Storey, FX Plus Facilities Operations Manager, said: “With our commitment to avoid the disposal of any furniture that still has life left in it, we've been reaching out to local communities to see if we can find new homes for our furniture.

“Over the last few months the Penryn caretaking team has donated items to Cornwall Business School at their new space on Kernick Industrial Estate, the Dracaena Centre and the Princess Pavilion in Falmouth.

"The Falmouth Caretaking team has also been busy supporting local schools and community projects, recently delivering sofas, seating and tables to Constantine Primary School and Camborne Contemporary Crafts Hub.”

Oliver Milliner, Head of Sustainability, added: “We are committed to making our campuses more sustainable via a variety of initiatives and this is a perfect example of repurposing and reusing. With thought and care, our Caretaking team has found a great way of supporting local communities while reducing waste."

Read more about Falmouth's sustainability initiatives