Giles Watling, MP for Clacton, has expressed his support for Tendring Reuse & Employment Enterprise (T.R.E.E), based in Clacton, and their important work to tackle furniture poverty.
Giles visited TREE on 4th May, and heard more about their work to provide volunteer and work placement opportunities for people in the local community. T.R.E.E specialise in assisting those with learning difficulties, the long term unemployed and young people not in education, employment or training (NEET).
T.R.E.E accept and collect good quality donated furniture and electrical items for reuse, and recycle what cannot be reused. Refurbished quality items are then sold at low cost to the general public, particularly benefiting those who are disadvantaged. This has multiple benefits for the community, including reducing social and financial exclusion and lowering carbon emissions and landfill. T.R.E.E currently work in Clacton, Braintree, and North Essex.
By selling items in this way, T.R.E.E is also working to address furniture poverty, which arises when people cannot afford to provide themselves with the essential furniture and appliances that are needed to make a house. Many low-income households experience furniture poverty, or are only one ‘appliance breakdown’ away from experiencing this hidden pressure.
Giles is supporting the work of T.R.E.E, to raise awareness of furniture poverty, which can often be overlooked. Giles agrees that this problem needs to be more visible, so it can be effectively tackled, and will continue to work with T.R.E.E to achieve that objective.
Giles said: “T.R.E.E clearly do fantastic work, and I would like to thank them for all they do. They are selling some really fantastic products, one of which I bought myself, and I would encourage all local residents to support this important organisation in whatever way they can.”