Focusing on the ‘S’ component of ESG (Environmental Social Governance), the second British Furniture Association (BFA) ESG Forum of 2026 tackled some key topics including financial resilience, sustainability transition and child bed poverty.
Led by BFA’s sustainability consultant, Richard Naylor, the forum included speakers from Verisio and Harrison Spinks, which also hosted the event at its innovation centre.
Zarach, a Leeds-based bed charity, also gave a presentation at the event, outlining how donations from furniture manufacturers are helping children across the UK to get a good nights’ sleep and thrive in their education.
Jess Sandy, director of services at Zarach, says: “It’s our mission to end child bed poverty. We partner with many BFA members, and we couldn’t do a lot of what we do without that support.
“A report published by Barnardo’s in 2023 found that there are 900,000 children in the UK currently experiencing bed poverty – which means they don’t have a safe place to sleep.
“We partner with schools to identify those children who need our support and from Zarach they get a brand-new bed, mattress, bedding, pyjamas and a little bit of intervention from our family engagement team to support the wider needs of the family.”
Since 2018, Zarach has delivered more than 19,000 beds, and is on track to reach 20,000 before Christmas this year.
Leo Dawson, the timber development manager at Track Record Global, which provides supply chain analysis specifically for timber, mapping and evaluating the supply chain from source to client, attended the event, and says: “The BFA’s ESG Forum was inspirational. We’ve heard from some really interesting and thought-provoking speakers.
“I had no idea there was such a thing as sleep poverty, that was a new one on me. It was very moving to listen to the speaker about that and to hear the presentation on modern slavery.
“It’s encouraging to see how things have developed in timber and furniture manufacturing. Companies are more aware and engaged with ESG responsibilities. They are not just paying lip service, but developing policies, making real change and promoting that change in the wider industry as well.
“Engaging with events like the forum gives people the opportunity to network, learn something and bring those ideas and thought processes back to the business. I strongly encourage anybody in the furniture industry to take part in this type of event.”
Topics covered included a case study of Harrison Spinks’ employee ownership and social impact projects as well as Money First Aid – Building Financial Resilience in Your Team.
Verisio gave a presentation on the importance of key social ‘related’ legislation, and delegates enjoyed a networking lunch, Q&A panel session and a tour of Harrison Spinks' showroom.
BFA MD Phil Spademan comments: “Events like the ESG Forum are a key part of BFA’s activities, bringing members together for useful, practical and insightful sessions that provide opportunities to learn, connect and share ideas.
“On behalf of all the delegates who attended the ESG Forum, we’d like to thank Harrison Spinks for hosting the event and our sustainability consultant, Richard Naylor, as the facilitator of the day.”
The next BFA event is a webinar focusing on Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO), which will outline how businesses can adapt their online presence to become more visible in AI searches.
The event is at 11am on Thursday 5th November and booking details, along with more information about the BFA including membership applications, can be found here.
