British furniture brand Swyft has announced a new charity partnership with Furnishing Futures, an interiors-led social enterprise dedicated to transforming empty social housing into safe, healing homes for women and children escaping domestic abuse.
Furniture poverty is a hidden crisis in the UK, affecting more than 14 million people, says Furnishing Futures. Less than 2% of social housing is furnished, leaving vulnerable families in empty properties without essential items, while 22 million pieces of furniture are sent to landfill every year, many of them in new or nearly-new condition.
Furnishing Futures aims to provide a sustainable, industry-led solution to both problems, rescuing high-quality donated pieces from interiors brands and repurposing them to create fully furnished homes for families starting again.
As part of the partnership, Swyft will donate furniture and provide ongoing support, helping Furnishing Futures extend its reach and impact. This includes contributing to The Atrium, Furnishing Futures’ new events and sales space in Leyton. Designed as "a beautiful, healing environment", The Atrium will act as a hub for sustainability, community, and women’s empowerment through hosting events, workshops, and collaborations with leaders in design and interiors.
Keiran Hewkin, co-founder and CEO of Swyft, says: “At Swyft, we’re committed to designing furniture that works beautifully in everyday life, but also to doing business in a way that feels responsible and forward-thinking. Partnering with Furnishing Futures allows us to contribute directly to tackling two pressing challenges – furniture poverty and industry waste. It’s a partnership that makes complete sense to us, and we’re honoured to play our part both in furnishing homes and supporting the launch of The Atrium.”
Emily Wheeler, founder and CEO of Furnishing Futures, adds: “We are thrilled to partner with Swyft. Their commitment to both quality and sustainability aligns perfectly with our mission. Their support not only helps us transform empty social housing into homes but also enables us to open The Atrium, a new space to bring people together around sustainability, design, and women’s empowerment.”
