Welcome to Community Sustainability Services (CSS)

CSS support a wide range of clients through our various sustainable services, the main groups include:-

  • Older people and vulnerable
  • People with disabilities
  • Low income families
  • Unemployed
  • Socially excluded

Services provided by CSS include:

  • Three furniture stores
  • Restoration workshop
  • Handyperson service
  • Gardening service
  • Painting and decorating service
  • Training and volunteering
  • Sign posting

Furniture Stores

CSS has three furniture stores re-distributing furniture and house hold items in which we collect donations of furniture and house hold items and re-distribute them at a low cost. This helps people in need and diverts “bulky waste” away from landfill.

Restoration workshop

CSS have a restoration workshop which provides a work based training environment for people with disabilities to use their skills and abilities. They are trained in a number of tasks including furniture restoration. This teaches them work and life skills and promotes social inclusion whilst also providing a better quality of furniture for our customers to purchase.

Handyperson Services

CSS have two work contracts to provide handy person service.

The first is through Sunderland Council. We provide gardening, handyperson and minor alterations for their service users. This includes fabrication of external metal handrails, provision of temporary wooden ramping, banisters and other items needed to sustain independence in their own homes.

The second is through Gentoo Sunderland. We provide gardening, handy person, painting and decorating for their vulnerable tenants.

The SCFS (Contracts) Ltd provides gardening/landscaping, handyperson, painting and decorating and joinery services. These services are available to anyone and are charged at a competitive rate.

Signposting

CSS provide a valued link to other local services and community groups, including:-

  • Home fire risk assessments through the local fire service
  • Adaptations and improvements to ensure homes conform to decent home standard provided through the Home Improvement Agency.

Training and Volunteering

CSS are able to offer basic work based training and development opportunities in the following activities areas:-

  • Warehousing skills, including manual handling and lifting
  • Office administration, including telephone and client-facing skills.
  • Driving and goods handling, including teaching multi-drop
  • Furniture repair and refurbishment
  • Gardening, including the use of hand tools
  • Painting and Decorating
  • Handyperson – Joinery -woodworking tasks

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