Furniture poverty on the rise, charity says

A North Yorkshire charity working to combat furniture poverty has said it has seen a "big increase" in demand for its services.

Essential Needs, based in Harrogate, sells second-hand furniture and essential household items at affordable prices to those in need.

A government report published last year estimated that one in seven children in the UK were in "deep material poverty", defined as lacking at least four out of 13 essential items like adequate clothing, heating and a safe, well-maintained home.

Lee Wright, who manages Essential Needs, said: "We regularly come across people who don't have carpets on the floor. We have got children that are sleeping on mattresses on cold, damp floors."

"We are seeing a big increase in demand in the last year or so," Wright explained.

"We are regularly getting 10 to 15 new customers every week who are coming in to purchase items that they can't afford to purchase elsewhere."

Brian Summerson, an Essential Needs customer, described the charity as a "life saver".

"It's absolutely crucial. The price of furniture from new is expensive," he said.

"This is an absolute lifeline for many people."

Another Harrogate-based charity, Lifeline, which helps to provide housing to homeless and vulnerable people, has been working with Essential Needs to furnish accommodation.

Adam Clarke, who recently moved into a property with the help of both charities after a spell in rehab, said: "It's the most important thing in life, your home.

"The cost of living now is extortionate, so things like this are so essential at the moment, just to build your house and make it feel like a home."

Wright said demand for the charity's services initially rose when the cost of living crisis began following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, which saw the price of oil, gas and agricultural products soar.

Over the last 18 months, donations had begun to dry up yet demand still remained high, he said.

"People are maybe holding on to things a little longer than they normally would," he said.

"We will tell people when items are coming into the store and we have often got several people waiting to get one or two items."

Harrogate's reputation as a well-to-do area hid the reality of life there for some people, Wright added.

"It's thought of as a wealthy area, but unfortunately that's not the case," he said.

"There are a lot of people in Harrogate that are paying high rents and when they are done paying those costs, there's often not a lot of money left over at the end of the month to buy essential items."

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