
New furniture needed
Donation protected
Hi! My name is Zak. I'm in my early 30s. I'm disabled and have been unable to work since about 2012.
I spent half my 20s homeless/couch-surfing/in temporary accommodation—I finally got a council flat in April 2021, and was able to get basic furniture at the time. It's now 3 years later and a lot of that furniture is in need of replacement; it's also becoming clear that my flat is a little too small to be comfortable.
The easiest solution for the latter is to get a mid-rise loft bed and put bookshelves and whatever under it, leaving more floorspace free for me to get around. My current bed and mattress need to be replaced anyway.
Unfortunately, loft beds rated to support an adult's weight are rare, and while I was able to find a local company who make such beds, I would need a new mattress, and a suitable mattress would cost nearly as much as the bedframe—I would prefer not to have to get a regular sprung one due to chronic pain. I'm currently sleeping on a regular sprung mattress and it's doing my back in.
I would also like to upgrade from a single bedframe/mattress to a small double, since the single is a little too small for comfort (I'm a restless sleeper) and despite what the council and local charities decided in 2021, just because I live alone does not mean I'll be sleeping alone for the rest of my life.
When I moved in, I got the cheapest set of drawers and wardrobe I could, which has backfired as the wardrobe's too small, and the set of drawers has started falling apart. There's room in my bedroom for a decently sized pseudo-fitted wardrobe, but even IKEA ones of a suitable size are beyond my means right now. I would prefer not to get the cheapest available only to have it start to fall apart yet again in 2027.
The costs breakdown for the funding goal is as follows:
- raised bedframe and a decent mattress with mattress protectors: £511
- wardrobe with hangers, drawers and shelves is about £502
- KALLAX bookshelf to go under the raised bed, plus document boxes for bills, medical correspondence, passport and birth certificate, etc.: £101
- corner desk with shelves and drawers, to replace the wobbly computer desk I'm afraid to use at this point: £179
- fitted sheets for new mattress, pillowcases: £44
That all tallies up to £1 337; the goal is set at £1 500 to account for GFM's fees, plus delivery costs and unforeseen minor expenses.
I hate to rely on charity, but the council is unlikely to help me right now, and disability benefits in the UK are just barely enough for food and transportation. The lack of anywhere to put books, important documents, etc. is making it very hard to keep the flat in order, and the mattress is starting to severely impact my sleep quality.
Thank you for any help you're able to provide. If you can't afford to donate, I would appreciate signal boosting.
Organizer

Isak Nesvitsky
Organizer
Scotland