Page last updated at 09:10 GMT, Tuesday, June 28 2011

Help With Furniture, Food and Clothing 

Scratch

SCRATCH (Southampton City and Region Action to Combat Hardship) is a Charitable Company which manages various social action projects currently operating in Southampton, Eastleigh, the Waterside and Winchester. The projects are not ‘direct access’. Eastleigh Borough Council Housing Services can refer customers in appropriate circumstances. Please discuss your situation with a Housing Adviser.

Scratch website

Dorcas Project

The Dorcas Project collects furniture donated by the public, schools, churches and the corporate sector.  The items are passed on to individuals and families referred to the Project. The Project can usually deliver within five working days. It works on a very strict ‘best goes first’ basis, meaning that when there is a choice of items required, the best items are delivered. Dorcas Project can offer a Basic Package of furniture

• Three Piece Suite – or  similar seating
• Beds – as many as are  needed, including doubles, singles and cots, when available Bedding
• Curtains
• Kitchen box – crockery, cutlery, • pots & pans etc
• ·KettleToaster
• Wardrobe and chest of drawers or table and up to  four chairs

The cost of this package is £75 for deliveries within Southampton, £130 in Eastleigh Borough and £140 in all other areas.

If you have items of furniture and household items that you wish to donated to the project, please phone the SCRATCH office on 023 8077 3132.  Please note that we make a charge of £10 per collection.

Dorcas website

SCRATCH has furniture for sale from their shop at:

Units 18 & 19, East Street Shopping Centre, Southampton, SO14 1HU   Items available include beds, three piece suites, wall units, coffee tables, wardrobes, chest of drawers etc.  The shop is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 4.00pm.

The shop aims to give people a feeling of dignity, ownership and choice.  It also aims to produce much needed income for the ongoing running costs of the Dorcas Project and other SCRATCH projects.

The Basics Bank, operated by Southampton City Mission, is a clothing project and emergency food bank, with referrals made via a voucher system. Vouchers are held by approved referral agencies, including Eastleigh Borough Council, so that having identified and assessed a family or individual with a particular type of need, they can make use of the project.

Customers then visit the “Bank” to choose the clothing needed (as much as three or four outfits per person if required) and to collect food if necessary.

The project does not expect to clothe an individual more than four times a year, or to feed a family or person more than once a month for three months.

Food parcels are designed to last up to five days and are intended to help in an emergency situation.

Further information can be found on www.southamptoncitymission.co.uk