”Dear Susan,
Sara Craggs, Desmond Lewis(Head Teacher), (SMT)
We've seamlessly integrated the items into various areas of the school: The library room has been furnished with the donated chairs and paint. Meeting rooms now boast comfortable grey stacking chairs. Stools and chairs have enhanced learning spaces in Art, DT, and Science. Round white tables facilitate productive staff and student meetings. Lockers aid our PE teacher in resource management. AV trolleys support multimedia learning in Science. Cupboards serve as secure exam storage. A tall fridge assists a staff member in their daily tasks.
We're immensely grateful for your support and look forward to future collaborations.
Scope
When approached by The John Lewis Partnership to clear a conference and training floor of all furniture, AV kit, and loose items, Renovo was keen to rise to the occasion. The team embraced the 11,000 sq. ft. opportunity and quickly began to align with the Estate Team.
Renovo faced the challenge of clearing nine distinct spaces, comprising meeting rooms, training facilities, and a conference area. John Lewis’ team was keen to make sure that the furniture was donated to good causes, and Renovo and their long-term charity partner Business2Schools supported this.
Services Provided
Kicking off the process, Renovo deployed their Furniture Circular Economy expert Susan Balsdon to complete a site survey and to prepare inventory and condition reports. Distributing the findings to nearby schools within a forty-minute radius, two local head teachers eagerly requested the usable furniture, reaffirming the client’s dedication to reuse wherever possible.
During a focused two-day clearance program, Renovo diligently executed its plan of action. Sue, serving as the personal point of contact, coordinated with schools to finalise their selections and appropriately label the desired items. These chosen pieces were promptly sorted, loaded, and directly delivered to both schools within the first day by the Renovo team, ensuring full traceability, care, and a low carbon footprint. Any unusable furniture was responsibly transported to recycling centres.
Sue documented the entire transformation through a series of photographs, capturing both the initial state, the cleared spaces, and the subsequent use of furniture in the schools. This was featured in the Renovo ESG and Carbon Data Report, detailing the destination of each item from the inventory with a commitment to transparency and accountability. This approach ensured that the client remained fully informed about the success of their donations and the great local, social impact. 84 usable items were donated.
Success Points
We handled every aspect of the project with a streamlined and time-effective approach. Both schools were thrilled to receive useful furniture and other items. In a testament to the resourcefulness of the process, one of the schools even took advantage of the opportunity to acquire paint from the premises, maximising the potential for item reuse. By facilitating direct loading and delivery of furniture from the site to schools, Renovo significantly minimised the carbon footprint associated with transportation, underscoring their dedication to environmentally conscious practices.
The Renovo team and Business2Schools take great pride in coordinating the complex, time-critical logistics process to ensure that everything is delivered directly from the site in the interest of security and sustainability. The client witnessed first-hand how their donated furniture is reused in schools: from classrooms, laboratories, staff rooms, and beyond. As a result, the Renovo team are proud to have enabled the client to improve the learning environment and well-being in two schools for both students and staff. Another job well done!
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