Show home furniture sell-off helps raise thousands

Vistry Kent has been recycling showhome furniture to raise funds for a local charity.

The housebuilder donated the furniture and accessories from a number of show homes throughout its division directly to Demelza Hospice Care for Children. The items were sold through the charity’s shopping outlet, and some of its other charity shops in the area, and raised more than £6,500, 

Vistry also held an online auction to allow Vistry staff to bid on furniture from a Bovis Homes show property at its Watermans Park location in Gravesend. 
 
The donated furniture, which filled four removal vans, included bedroom, dining room, office and living room furniture, as well as lamps, vases, glassware and rugs. 
 
Demelza helps over 600 children and young people with serious and terminal conditions and their families every year and has hospices in Sittingbourne in Kent and Eltham in south-east London, and provides a community hospice-at-home service from its base in St Leonards, East Sussex.
 
Candice McCabe, marketing manager for Vistry Kent, said: “We are based in West Malling and everyone here is well aware of the amazing work that Demelza does for young people with serious and terminal illnesses throughout the region. At Vistry Kent, we have built up a very special relationship with Demelza and we not only raise money for the charity but some of our employees have also spent time helping out at the charity’s retail warehouse in Maidstone. 
 
“When we sold off the furniture from the show home at Watermans Park to staff we set up an online auction where employees were able to email us with their bids for the various items. The auction generated a lot of excitement and raised a good deal of money for Demelza into the bargain. 
 
“We were also pleased to be able to offer Demelza the furniture from a number of our other show homes which meant that a fair amount of top-quality furniture was given a new lease of life, helping people looking for low-cost items to furnish their homes and bringing in thousands of pounds for this wonderful cause.”   

Louise Earl, corporate partnerships account manager at Demelza, said: “As a charity, Demelza almost entirely depends on the generosity of our supporters to provide the funds that keep our services going and 86 per cent of our income comes from individual and company fundraising. 
 
“This means that the funds Vistry have raised for us will have a huge impact on the children who are under our care, and their families. As an example, £142 could pay for a day of specialist care from a Demelza nurse. £60 will pay for an hour of music or art therapy for a child or sibling. Thank you Vistry, we are incredibly grateful for your support.”