Furniture volunteer heads to court
THE volunteer who blew the whistle on alleged bad practice at the Furniture Project in Newton Stewart has vowed to take the charity to court after turning up for work and being asked to leave its premises last Friday with no explanation.
The claims have now prompted councillors in Dumfries and Galloway to raise the matter at an upcoming meeting of Wigtown Area Committee with a view to launching an official investigation into the matter.
Sixty-four-year old John McCleary, from Minnigaff, who had been a volunteer at the furniture recycling charity for two years, was shocked to be asked to leave by the site manager when he arrived to work at the Queen Street premises and is now seeking legal advice.
This week project manager Paul Smith replied to a list of allegations in last week's Galloway Gazette front page which claim volunteers worked in sub-zero temperatures without heating, that furniture prices were now too high for the disadvantaged to buy and that items of furniture donated to the project were not being taking to recycling centres.
Mr McCleary also said that the project had borrowed money from a bank to finance developing their operations in Stranraer.
In correspondence with the Gazette Mr Smith said: "The article made a series of claims about the standards and activities within the Furniture Project, many of which were suggested as representing the volunteers' views.
"You wrote that some work 30 hours per week although did not clarify this was for therapeutic reasons, through choice and accepted by support agencies to be appropriate. We have never been without water and due to the exceptional weather our boiler broke down and took some time to repair. In relation to equipment we have all that is required to complete the various tasks we undertake.
"If someone who clearly requires our service visits one of our centres and furniture is too expensive we provide a discount.
"The claim that one volunteer with learning and physical disabilities was asked to work with a small "kindling axe" to break up unusable furniture, a task which "took him days" is wrong. He has no physical disability and it has taken him over five years as he has undertaken this task almost continuously for this period, a fact which is also fully acknowledged by his support agency who understand this contributes to a good state of health.
"Our directors met at conference facility within a hotel in Girvan to review our progress and development in September 2009. At this session there was no mention of ... a decision made to borrow 250,000 from the Bank of Scotland to finance a move to Stranraer. The money which you refer to had already been secured from a social investment firm in the previous summer and the figure was significantly different to that noted.
"We have not increased our prices but we have introduced delivery charges, not in the future but over a year ago in response to the fuel price rises.
"Reflecting on the claim that there are no repairs or refurbishment to furniture, they are just cleaned up, absolutely, we do not market the Furniture Project as doing anything to the contrary.
"It was so bad the community service people would not go in" - the staff at the Criminal Justice department have confirmed that this is at complete odds with the truth, as all people undertaking community service have, without exception, been happy in their placement with the Furniture Project.
"Customers of the Furniture Project may verify we charge a disposal fee in accordance with the weight of the item and not a flat rate of 7 as suggested. This is based on risk management, if there is a high risk we can not reuse the item, we can either decline the offer or take the item away for a fee which reflects the cost at landfill which we may be charged.
"We are aware of recent issues relating to stock storage at both of our centres and until recently were able to dispose of waste free of charge at landfill.
"Unfortunately we now have to pay the operators standard gate fees at landfill which has added financial pressure and adds to logistical issues too thus leading to us storing for longer periods. However we do strive to maintain appropriate conditions within the work place."
Speaking to the Gazette this week Mr McCleary said he had returned to volunteer at the project after recovering from serious illness because he enjoyed the work and the company of his fellow volunteers.
He said: "I decided to go back against the advice of my family and friends.
"I knew that conditions were not good but I thought I had a moral duty to make sure the community service workers and the people with disabilities were being cared for. I was two and a half years with the project and won two awards for my services to the community."
John added that he "would not allow this project to deceive the very people it was set up for".
Mid Galloway councillor Alistair Geddes and Dumfries and Galloway Council's Wigtown area manager Harry Hay met with Furniture Project volunteers on Monday afternoon to discuss their concerns.
Mr Hay stated that they were dealing with two issues: the allegations about working conditions at the Newton Stewart site and the way forward for the Furniture Project in the area.
He said that the council were funders the Furniture Project and part of the criteria the project had to meet to get funding was to have a "duty of care" to volunteers, paid or otherwise.
The issues are now due to be raised at a forthcoming meeting of the Wigtown Area Committee.
THE FOLLOWING LETTER WAS RECEIVED BY THE GALLOWAY GAZETTE IN RESPONSE TO LAST WEEK'S ARTICLE:
I WOULD like to take issue with the front page article in the Gazette last week entitled 'down in the dumps' concerning the Furniture Project. The article made a series of claims about the standards and activities within the Furniture Project, many of which were suggested as representing the volunteers views and clearly taking advantage of the good nature of the offer of volunteer time by the management of the Furniture Project ...
You noted some of our volunteers have physical disabilities yet not one has.
You wrote that some work 30 hours per week although did not clarify this was for therapeutic reasons, through choice and accepted by support agencies to be appropriate. Working in temperatures of –12 without water, heating or proper equipment. We have never been without water and due to the exceptional weather our boiler broke down and took some time to repair. In relation to equipment we have all that is required to complete the various tasks we undertake. Points that should have been clarified.
You stated our volunteers have challenged our Board of Directors to a public meeting in Newton Stewart. The Volunteers have not made any challenges whatsoever to our Board of Directors as neither our Directors or our Volunteers are aware of. To clarify my position is not a Director as you stated I am the Project Manager and have never held the title described.
Can I also clarify that despite the Gazette noting the charity obtains the furniture for free from the public and it now charges prices unaffordable for the people who are supposed to be helped we have not increased our prices since December 2003 and we are comparable to the lowest charging Furniture Projects in Scotland if not the lowest. You can not compare the cost between new and second hand furniture as they are so vastly different.
For the sake of the uninitiated if someone who clearly requires our service visits one of our centres and furniture is too expensive we provide a discount, if for example a young lady had arrived requiring a suite and the suite was too expensive our volunteers are aware that the Manager can review prices when exceptional circumstances prevail and often do.
There appears to be some confusion created surrounding reconditioning of furniture and the claim we do. We don't and we do not claim to do so. The claim that one volunteer with learning and physical disabilities was asked to work with a small "kindling axe" to break up unusable furniture, a task which "took him days" is wrong. He has no physical disability and it has taken him over 5 years as he has undertaken this task almost continuously for this period, a fact which is also fully acknowledged by his support agency who understand this contributes to a good state of health.
Our Directors met at conference facility within a hotel in Girvan to review our progress and development in September 2009. At this session there was no mention of let alone a decision made to borrow 250,000 from the Bank of Scotland to finance a move to Stranraer. The money which you refer to had already been secured from a social investment firm in the previous summer and the figure was significantly different to that noted.
I find the alleged disturbing facts difficult to equate with a project that is really going to hurt the people if taken away, particularly with prices rising by 15% and delivery charges due to be introduced. Again factually completed incorrect as I stated we have not increased our prices but we have introduced delivery charges, not in the future but over a year ago in response to the fuel price rises.
Reflecting on the claim that there are no repairs or refurbishment to furniture, they are just cleaned up, absolutely, we do not market the Furniture Project as doing anything to the contrary. A point I am pleased means this report is not entirely factually incorrect.
To add a clearer picture concerning the window breakage we had a party goer break the window, which we paid the Council to Board up and the culprit is due, after being brought to justice to pay for the window to be replaced, which we are waiting to take place. In the interim we placed furniture in front of the window so accessibility is restricted.
"It was so bad the community service people would not go in". The staff at the Criminal Justice Dept have confirmed that this is at complete odds with the truth, as all people undertaking community service have, without exception, been happy in their placement with the Furniture Project.
"We think it is getting away from what it was set up for, they are overcharging for all the stuff, it's a shame". A plural statement that should be singular, I, as it was the representative views of one person and certainly not a spokesperson. The Furniture Project has 5 main objectives and we meet those 5 objectives on a daily basis and which is reviewed routinely to ensure we do not move away from them.
Customers of the Furniture Project may verify we charge a disposal fee in accordance with the weight of the item and not a flat rate of 7 as suggested. This is based on risk management, if there is a high risk we can not reuse the item we can either decline the offer or take the item away for a fee which reflects the cost at landfill which we may be charged ...
Paul Smith
Project Manager
l This letter has been edited for legal reasons
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Newton Stewart
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South
