A charity has announced it will close by the end of the year amid financial concerns. The Wood Store, which operates in Edward Street in Brighton , has announced that it will be closing its doors at Christmas after 26 years. Richard Mehmed started the project in 1998 after seeking waste wood to build a Wendy house for his daughter.
He realised no one was recycling timber for reuse, and the not-for-profit social enterprise was born. The charity saves reusable timber from landfills and incineration which it then sorts, either for re-supply or transformation into furniture. As well as promoting environmental sustainability, the charity provides training and volunteering opportunities for individuals facing unemployment or financial hardships.
The charity says that its main revenue, which came from reselling timber or turning it into bespoke furniture, has almost disappeared. Pete West, CEO of The Wood Store, says he is gutted about the closure (Image: The Wood Store) Pete West from the charity said: “The basis of our business has always been that it is cheaper for companies to have us collect their timber 'waste' than to skip it. But as timber prices have soared since covid the industry has become more careful to minimise waste - good for the environment but has pulled the rug from under us.
We also face the problem of finding premises now that so many affordable employment sites have been redeveloped for housing. “Then there is the economy: people simply don't have the mone.