In The Company Of: Lee Wright on how Essential Needs has been helping people in furniture poverty for 30 years

In a nutshell what does your company do and how did it start?

Essential Needs is actually celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. We are a registered charity that was set up to help people in furniture poverty. People kindly donate furniture that they no longer need to us. We collect free of charge from the Harrogate District and sell items at low cost which helps cover our overheads as we are self-financed.

We are actually open to anyone to shop with us and we welcome a wide range of customers. If you are in receipt of a means tested benefit or in work on a low wage you can receive a 35 per cent discount. We also sell brand new beds as unfortunately we do not get donated enough pre-owned ones.

What is the most surprising thing about it?

People’s generosity, both those that donate items of furniture to help others when they could actually be selling them privately as the items are in such good condition. But also from those customers that buy from us. They are often in difficult financial situations, but they want to help others by donating furniture back to us.

What do you do in the business?

I run the charity on a day-to-day basis, managing a team who work tirelessly to support our cause. I report to a volunteer board of trustees and together we make strategic decisions on the direction of the charity.

How did you end up here?

I began my career in hospitality, working as graduate trainee at the Swallow St George Hotel in Harrogate. After stints at two other hotels I left the industry to work in the training sector. Following 20 years in that industry I needed a new work challenge and have now been here for six years.

If you weren’t doing this, what would you be doing?

I completed a degree in sport and leisure and love sport, so possibly something related to that.

What motivates you?

We have the ability to help others and hopefully make a positive difference to their current situation. Waking up every day with this thought in my mind is more than enough to motivate me to be here.

What one thing do you wish you had known when you started out in business?

I wish I had been more aware of the support that businesses can offer to charities. Not just through financial donations as there are many other ways to help out such as donating volunteering days which can help a business to support team building and donating equipment.

What excites you about business?

Working for a charity, it is definitely helping those in our local community who are in a difficult position, often through no fault of their own. It is often said that we are only three bad months away from being potentially homeless.

What is your pet hate in business?

Unfortunately we sometimes get people who will try to use us as a disposal service for items that are clearly not reusable or for appliances that are knowingly broken. We don’t always discover this until we function test them and then we have to pay to dispose when we could be using this money to help others.

What advice would you give to people just starting their careers?

Try and find a role that you will enjoy working in and always treat others as you would want to be treated yourself. A smile doesn’t cost anything but it can make a real difference to someone who is having a difficult time.

Who in business do you most admire and why?

Anyone who is brave enough to set up their own business and those people who whilst already in full-time employment dedicate themselves to volunteering for a local charity or good cause in their spare time.

What moments of your career so far stand out?

The past six years at Essential Needs have been the proudest of my career. We have tripled the amount of furniture and appliances we reuse, amounting to 155 tonnes worth last year. We also supported nearly 1,900 people with essential furniture items, with over 600 in the last year alone.

What sets your company apart from the competition?

Being a charity we don’t see ourselves as in competition with other local charities. We are all trying to help people in our community in various ways and we work together as much as possible to achieve this.

What is the most difficult challenge your company has faced, and what challenges are you experiencing at the moment?

Like most other local organisations, the Covid pandemic was a difficult period. We had a high number of older volunteers we did not want to put at risk, so we operated with greatly reduced numbers.

Receiving good quality donations is always an on-going issue. We are always particularly in need of double beds, sofas and appliances.

Have you got a five year plan?

We set out a three-year plan just before Covid hit us, so we had to revise this. This year we have achieved all that we set out to including schemes such as our “Free Beds for Children” campaign providing a new bed to 75 children in our local community that don’t have one. We have also given £5,000 worth of furniture to people from Ukraine as they leave host families in a joint partnership with The Rotary Club of Harrogate.

Why is it good to do business in Yorkshire?

Maybe I am biased but I think people from Yorkshire are kind, friendly and always willing to help others. Their generosity allows many charities like ourselves to exist.

Fact file

Name: Lee Wright.

Age: 54.

Birthplace: Middlesbrough.

Job title: Manager.

Company name: Essential Needs.

Company address: Back Gladstone Street, Harrogate, HG2 8DF.

Website address: https://essentialneeds.org.uk/

Company founded: 1995.

Turnover: N/A.

Number of staff: Eight staff and 23 volunteers.