Our project is run nearly entirely by volunteers, who do everything from act as Treasurer, to drive the van, we have around 25 volunteers who sort items coming in, prepare items to go out, refurbish donated bikes, test electricals and purchase required items.

Most of the items we are able to provide are second hand and we find this works well for the majority of furniture as we are lucky to receive many good quality donations. We have trained appliance testers to ensure we can test donated fridge freezers, washing machines and small electricals too. In cases where we don’t have sufficient supply of fridge freezers or washing machines and for cookers and carpets, so we use Acts435, a Christian crowdfunding website, to provide funding to cover requests for these items. In 2025, we purchased over £16,500 of new white goods and carpets.

Since May 2023, we have employed a part time employee (12 hours/week) to ensure that we have sufficient time to speak to beneficiaries on the phone to ensure we provide a good service that meets their needs.

Although part of the St Vincent de Paul society (SVP), we do not receive funding from the National office, so have to raise funds locally to cover our running costs. This year we are struggling to cover our core costs due to decreases in the amount offered by our 2 regular funders as demand on them has increased. We have increased our fundraising activities mainly in the way of sponsored events and boot sales selling surplus items that have been donated.

If you wish to donate or volunteer, if you have any questions or would like to visit, we would be delighted to hear from you.

Our aim is to support anyone in need of furniture who is unlikely to be able to afford to provide essential items themselves - in the Chelmsford borough plus a bit further north to Witham. We often support families who have fled domestic abuse, people recovering from homelessness or breakdowns in living with family.

We support anyone regardless of ethnicity, faith, sexuality, etc. We receive referrals from Social Care, Schools, Chelmsford Foodbank, Mental Health team, Child and Family Wellbeing service, Social Prescribers, Citizens Advice, Council Housing department and many other charities and statutory bodies.

There is limited statutory support for providing furniture and white goods in our area so we come across many people moving into unfurnished accommodation with nothing at all. One of our deliveries can range from providing just a washing machine to providing all the items for furnish a house, depending on need.

SVP Springfield Furniture bank was established by a group of mainly Christian volunteers in the Chelmsford area in December 2017 in response to a need from a family fleeing domestic abuse.

The Mum and her 2 young boys left a refuge in London and were housed in an unfurnished flat with no means to provide furniture themselves. We spread the word we needed furniture for a family and were amazed how quickly we were offered the items needed and borrowed a trailer to deliver them all.

The project grew quickly as we found many families moving into unfurnished social housing with very little and others in difficult situations without an essential furniture item. We have grown over time to have storage and a van to collect items when they are available, to sort and test items to make sure they are in good condition, and the electricals are in safe working order. 

You can contact us by phone or WhatsApp on 0330 043 6474 or email furniturespringfield@svp.org.uk.

We are open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 9am - 1pm.