A brand new social enterprise in Old Trafford selling furniture to low income families has received a generous donation from Wates Living Space - in the form of items from a striking exhibition display.

The Rainbow Furniture Centre, based on Malvern Row, has taken delivery of a large collection of fixtures, furniture and home furnishings that formed part of Wates' 'Welcome to our Living Space' stand at the recent Chartered Institute of Housing conference in Manchester.

Set to launch in September, the recently established social enterprise now boasts a number of sofas, shelving units, stools and worktops from Wates as well as decorative items such as rugs, picture frames and cushions. The nearly new pieces will now be sold by the Centre onto underprivileged households for a minimal cost.


The innovative 'Welcome to our Living Space' display had been purposefully designed by Wates to feature furnishings that could remain in the city for the benefit of local residents. The local contractor then worked with Trafford Housing Trust to identify a suitable charity to receive the donated furniture.

Sarah Smith, Marketing Manager at Wates Living Space, commented: "When we were planning our presence at this year's CIH Conference, it was very important to us to consider the lifecycle of the stand. The fixtures and fittings from former exhibition spaces are often overlooked but we knew we could find someone in the city that would really benefit from our furniture if we looked hard enough. I’m delighted to be able to donate it to the Rainbow Furniture Centre and support the needs of local people in Trafford."

(CD/GK)