Allect Group Charity Day with Furnishing Futures

The Allect Group — comprising sister companies Rigby & Rigby, Lawson Robb, and Helen Green Design — recently came together for a rewarding voluntary charity day supporting Furnishing Futures, a charity transforming lives through the power of interior design.

Furnishing Futures is an innovative charity founded in 2019 by Emily Wheeler, a former social worker, interior designer, and stylist. Emily established the charity after witnessing women escaping domestic abuse being rehoused in empty flats, often without basic furniture or appliances. Combining social work values with interior design expertise, Furnishing Futures creates trauma-informed, fully furnished healing homes for women and children recovering from abuse and living in furniture poverty. Partnering with leading interior brands and designers, the charity aims to expand its model across the UK, helping more families rebuild their lives in safe, nurturing environments.

Our team from Rigby & Rigby, Lawson Robb, and Helen Green Design spent the day at Furnishing Futures’ East London headquarters, helping unpack and sort boxes of new furniture, accessories, artwork, and window treatment equipment. It was an inspiring and hands-on experience that gave us a real insight into the charity’s day-to-day operations and the tangible impact it makes in creating beautiful, functional homes for survivors.

There are many ways we — as an industry and as individuals — can continue to support Furnishing Futures. Women escaping domestic abuse are referred to the charity by their social workers, and while the organisation currently covers around half of London’s boroughs, it aims to expand across the city in the coming years. Last year alone, Furnishing Futures completed 55 homes and hopes to double or even triple that number next year. The charity also hosts open days, talks, and workshops in their new creative hub/shop Atrium which is open to the public. For suppliers wishing to donate products, partnerships can be discussed by emailing the team directly at partnerships@furnishingfutures.org.

The day was a powerful reminder that creating homes of comfort and dignity can change lives — and that, together, our industry can make a real difference.

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