Pioneering Partnership Launched with Anderson’s

Action Homeless are excited to announce a new partnership with Leicester based letting agent Anderson’s. The scheme involves tenants and landlords donating unwanted furniture, food, toiletries and cleaning products when they move out of their homes.

We spoke to Chris Anderson, the Director of Anderson’s, about what inspired him to start the scheme and how it works.

What led you to think of setting up this scheme?

We’ve always tried to encourage landlords and tenants to be resourceful when it came to recycling furniture that was no longer needed in our rental properties. Tipping useable furniture was always our last resort. However, when it came to unwanted food, toiletries and cleaning products left by departing tenants we didn’t really have a policy other than to throw those items away.

We started to look at how we could not just accumulate unwanted items, but instead actively encourage vacating tenants to support a good cause by donating items. Then we looked at how Anderson’s could collect those items and who would be able to benefit from them.

Why Action Homeless?

Over the years we’ve been able to do what lots of companies do by supporting local and national charities with the usual money donations and sponsorships. This year we wanted to try and do something different and forge a relationship with a local charity related to homelessness. I spoke to various people, searched online and discovered Action Homeless.

When I stopped by at the Action Homeless Food Stop in Malcolm Arcade I was delighted to see that there was a specific outlet for the items we would be able to accumulate and they would go directly to people in our local community who had an urgent need. The staff and volunteers at the Food Stop were great. It was very apparent that local big and small businesses were supporting the Food Stop with regular donations and they were being gratefully received.

So how does it work?

The scheme works by providing tenants who are vacating our properties with information about the scheme during their final month. We supply them with an empty donation box during viewings.  Anderson’s then attend the property to complete the usual final inspection visit and collect any donated items. We store donations in our Charles Street office, ready for Action Homeless to collect and distribute.

The material cost to Anderson’s is small, but the benefits to the people receiving support from Action Homeless here in the city is huge. All our staff have been great with making it work, but it wouldn’t work without Anderson’s tenants being so generous and supportive of the scheme.

We hope that this project flourishes and continues to work for Action Homeless. In the long term it would be great if they can encourage local landlords and other agents to do similar schemes.

 

If you are interested in supporting the Action Homeless Food Stop through donations or volunteering, please contact James Riviere on 0116 2211 851