A Perthshire charity that donates second-hand furniture to those without the funds to purchase may be forced to close if volunteers don’t come forward.
Strathearn Cares has helped dozens of locals each year since being set up by Tina McRorie six years ago.
Tina, 53, started the charity when she ran Crieff Community Foodbank and encountered someone who had a flat but nothing to furnish it or cook with.
“I went home and put a shout-out on Facebook which got everything the person needed,” she said.
“Before long I would come across lots of people in need of my help and so it began.”
‘My biggest problem is finding volunteers’
Tina now runs Strathearn Cares with her husband Nick, 56, who also works at Stewarts Building Services, and daughter Savannah, 16. They live in Crieff.
The charity helps Strathearn and Strathallan residents who have fallen victim to domestic abuse, fires and floods, as well as those facing general financial hardship.
It operates on a referral-only basis from professionals such as support workers, social workers, health workers and GPs, and organisations including Women’s Aid.
Tina was left money in a will that helped her buy a furniture storage unit in Auchterarder, to where volunteer drivers are paid a mileage fee.
“My biggest problem is finding volunteers to help,” she said. “We currently don’t have a van of our own so need somebody with a van who is willing to help me one day a week.
“I also need somebody to come along with the driver and myself to do the lifting. I am very well-supported with donations but I can’t get drivers.”
‘We all need a helping hand’
Tina also works at Crieff Connexions three mornings per week “as food poverty has a big place in my heart and goes hand in hand with furniture poverty”.
She added: “At Strathearn Cares I work as a referral-only scheme where a professional emails me the service user’s details and how many children etc.
“I am usually told what they need but often find people a bit embarrassed to ask for more, which they needn’t be as we all need a helping hand sometimes in life.
“I usually get provided with contact phone numbers and I then work with the service user to find out what else they need.
“We collect the items from our storage and deliver direct to the service user but I try my best to give them a choice of fabrics and sofas etc, stock permitting.”
‘We are in danger of having to close’
The McRorie family are supported by Crieff Garage, which kindly allows the use of a van at night.
“The garage is amazing but this isn’t always ideal as it’s around 7pm before we set out so it’s too late if there’s lots to deliver,” Tina added.
“If I can’t get a man and van plus help then we are in danger of having to close our valuable and much-needed service, which would be awful.
“With these unprecedented times we find ourselves in, more and more people are in need of help and situations are worsening by the day.”
Conversation