'We are family': Meet the team behind the Leeds shop turning unwanted furniture into second chances
Among the second hand tables and well loved sofas at the Feel Good Furniture shop lies something far more valuable than bagging a bargain.
The store on Canal Street, in Armley, which is managed by charity Slate offers dignity, purpose and the simple act of giving things - and people - a second chance.
For director Dave Firth and his team at Slate it isn’t just about saving thousands of household items from landfill every year or proving that sustainability can be stitched into every day life.
It’s about family.
And for the team at Slate adults with learning disabilities are not just given jobs. They are given a confidence, community and a chance. Those work opportunities can see volunteers thrive and open doors to employment across the city.
I work with the best people in the world , My team are my family.
As daily donations arrive, sometimes a £4,000 sofa and other times some bric-a-brac, they can be the basics that a family here in Leeds desperately needs.
He told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “We collect items of furniture that people do not require anymore. We do free collections in our vans and we sell them in our shops.
“We direct thousands of items a year from being sent to landfill.
“I work with the best people in the world , My team are my family. Everyone is the same no matter if you're a volunteer or you're a paid worker.
“Everyone is here to do a job and we're here to learn. We've got many people who started off as a volunteer and now they are in paid employment with us.
“We also strive to direct our volunteers into employment with other organisations as well.”
Nicholas Garvey is one of those who have flourished during their time at the store.
He said: "I do a bit of everything. I enjoy all of it from meeting with customers and mingling with people."
Eddie Martin added: " I started off by working in the cafe and then I went down to the Hunslet shop."
But the biggest thing that always strikes Mr Firth is the generosity of those who donate their second hand goods to the store.
He said: The best thing we find about working in the shop is giving people the opportunity to afford quality items. It's 2025 we should be ending furniture poverty in the UK but still some families don't have the basics like a bed, a sofa or a washing machine.
"The biggest thing is how kind people are. We get some very, very good quality items in and the people who donate them could sell them themselves for quite a substantial amount.
"We get some sofas that they spent £4,000 on and that gives us the opportunity to really make a bit more money.
"In terms of odd things our charity partner Revive had a coffin and some things I won't talk about. But yes, we do get a plethora of items coming through."