Orange Box North East opening new Alnwick store

Orange Box North East is a furniture collection and re-distribution community interest company.

Over the last year they have seen a huge increase in both donations and demand across Northumberland.

As well as placing a great demand on their Newcastle service, the company were limited to the geographical area they could cover across Northumberland.

That is set to change with the opening of a new base in Alnwick. The warehouse at Alnwick Station Estate will allow them to reach further afield, reaching a number of towns and villages North and West of Alnwick.

This will be welcome as there is currently very little provision across rural areas and within smaller villages, where people - especially the elderly - struggle when downsizing or simply needing to replace their furniture. In addition, there is very little in the way of provision of affordable, good quality furniture in Northumberland.

With work still ongoing on the finishing touches, the hope is to have the new base open in November. Initially the warehouse will be open Monday - Friday, 9am - 4pm. This may be adjusted or increased depending on the demand placed on the services. All collections and deliveries will be available during these times only.

“There has been quite a bit of work bringing the warehouse up to the standard expected of Orange Box, but we are all pulling together for an early November opening,” explained Director, Irene Brown.

The official opening date will be announced towards the end of October on the Orange Box Facebook page.

Within the warehouse you can expect to find a full range of essential household furniture, as well as white goods, upcycling projects, vintage items and of course an abundance of bric a brac.

The company welcomes all enquiries regarding donations - soft furnishings such as sofas and beds must conform to standard safety requirements, items need to be in a good clean re-usable condition and, in the case of electrical appliances, in good working order.

While the business hopes to provide some employment opportunities for local people, and is set to start recruitment of a driver, it is vital in the early stages that they are able to bring in volunteers.

Want to volunteer?

In Newcastle volunteers have been the backbone of the organisation, both in terms of its start up and ongoing development and it is this that has allowed the company to generate the income to convert these roles into paid employment.

There are a number of volunteering roles available including warehousing, administration and van crew members. Experience is not always necessary, just a willingness to be part of a team that hopefully will have a considerable impact across Northumberland.

As Irene Brown explains, “Volunteering is crucial to the success of Orange Box, and hopefully we can rely on the support of local people to make this happen”. People volunteer for a variety of reasons – potential employment, work experience, or simply reducing isolation and staying active!. There are no restrictions or barriers to volunteering, and we welcome enquiries for all members of the community”

All enquiries for volunteering opportunities should be made through the Orange Box email address - [email protected], or by telephone on 0191 2242116