Lincoln charity opens furniture shop to tackle homelessness

The Lincoln charity Nomad Trust, alongside partners Lincolnshire YMCA, have opened a new furniture and charity shop to raise funds for Lincoln’s homeless.

The new premises on Sincil Street opened for business on February 3 after weeks of preparation – and the shop doors were unlocked almost an hour early due to arriving customers.

The shop will be open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4.30pm and staff are asking that anyone with donations to come forward to give unwanted items a new life.

The team at the shop will renovate and refurbish donated furniture and other household wares for resale, giving staff and volunteers the opportunity to learn new skills.

Money raised will go toward funding projects such as a new night shelter for the homeless in the city.

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

In October 2011, Nomad Trust lost a proportion of government funding and has since relied heavily on various projects and services.

Nomad’s Furniture Project was launched in 2011 and was until now run from a small unit on Bar Gate which will now be used as a warehouse.

On opening the new shop, Lincolnshire YMCA CEO Malcom Barham said: “We identified this property on Sincil Street as one that would potentially do very well for us.

“We weren’t due to open until 10am and we had people looking in the windows and trying to get in the door an hour before that. We have already started to take money which is fantastic for the charity.

“This is an excellent path for volunteers to learn people skills and to perhaps get a job in the future.”

Shop Supervisor Wendy Kirman said: “The shop is a lot bigger so we can have lots more stock out on display. This new location means that we are better able to provide a service that’s needed.

Sheena Temple, the Sincil Street Shop Manager, said: “So many thanks have to be made with regard to making this move possible. We’ve had a bank of volunteers helping us out.

“The Enactus Group from the University of Lincoln deserve a special mention, their help has been so valuable.

“When we merged with the YMCA, we knew we wanted to combine the furniture project and the charity shop. This place is central and will be a much better unit to raise money from.”