THIS month Refurnish Crediton celebrates its second birthday.

Since the shop opened at premises in Mill Street in Crediton, nearly 60,000 items of furniture have been donated and sold alongside more than 2,500 items of bric-a-brac.

Refurnish sells all items at affordable prices and is dedicated to helping people on low incomes.

It has helped boost reuse of furniture in Mid Devon and this has saved several hundred tons of useable goods going to landfill.

It actively encourages everyone to reuse furniture whenever possible and donate unwanted items.

Refurnish says nothing is too small or big to be reused.

Recent donations have included a piano that was wheeled in on a trolley one sunny Sunday afternoon, full size pool tables, a dog pushchair and even a ventriloquist dummy!

The team of staff and volunteers offer a free collection service for bulky items but many people donate items using the convenient car park situated alongside the shop. For more details visit the website: www.refurnish.org.uk  or telephone 01363 774577.

Not only does Refurnish promote reuse and help protect the environment, it helps vulnerable people with work placements by providing a friendly working environment for people from a variety of backgrounds.

If you are on a budget this Christmas you are invited to make Refurnish Crediton your first port of call.

The shop hosts a fantastic range or furniture and an amazing range of bric-a-brac.

It is full of wonderful items; you could spend hours browsing the displays.

Cllr Karl Busch, Mid Devon District Council’s Cabinet Member for the Environment and Recycling Officer, Felicity Jones recently met with Refurnish Crediton Manager, Kate Evans and her team to congratulate them on their success.

Cllr Busch said: “The work Refurnish does is fantastic and the way they work with vulnerable people through The Turning Tides Project is commendable.

"By providing a wide range of unwanted, reusable furniture, appliances and other household goods for sale, it not only reduces the amount of bulky waste sent to landfill, but also helps those that cannot always afford to buy new.

"We are also beginning to value recyclable items more nationally and local schemes like this support other businesses in the Crediton area that refurbish furniture and sell on a range of second-hand goods such as bicycles, garden tools and artwork.

"It would be great to see other such operations working throughout Mid Devon to help the community and protect the environment in a similar way."

Alan Quick