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No one on their own. Lucky Budgie on community work and collective responsibility

No one on their own. Lucky Budgie on community work and collective responsibility

Posted by Rebeca Romero on 12th Nov 2018

Pea Crabtree is a printmaker based in Hastings. She sometimes works with young people as a community artist,
by day she works at a local furniture recycling charity. Pea's work can be described as politically engaged, using the letterpress as her tool as well as digital print she imprints powerful statements into paper. Her latest work is a couple of A3 digital prints she designed to celebrate the 30 years of HFS. 
Curious about the project, we asked Pea to explain us a bit more about the project and her involvement with HFS.

I designed the HFS re-use manifesto to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Naomi Ridgley, the CEO of Hastings Furniture Service, came up with a long list of words and phrases that encapsulate the ethos and achievements of the charity over the last 30 years and I arranged them and put in a few of my own. Collective responsibility ( a phrase that stands out in one of the designs), in this context, is a reflection of how HFS works; we are all responsible for the smooth running and reputation of the charity. No one is ever on their own, no one goes home before everything is done, regardless of job title. It's one of the best things about working in their team.

The print was launched at the Mark Thomas & Friends comedy fundraiser at the De La Warr Pavilion earlier this year; Mark Thomas is the patron of HFS. He used it as a back drop on the stage. When I turned up on the night it was a bit of a shock seeing it so big!

HFS is a not for profit charity. They collect furniture and electrical goods every day with 3 vans and resell the furniture at affordable prices. They believe a house is not a home until it has furniture in it; so many people are in furniture poverty... HFS has been fighting this for 30 years. They offer a 30% reduction to anyone on a low income and a 10% reduction to students and pensioners. These three groups also get free delivery in the Hastings and Rother area. Just to give you an idea of the scale of what they do - HFS saved 300 tonnes of furniture from landfill last year.

HFS also has the Workshop On Wheels (WOW) van that goes out into the community passing on DIY skills; women's refuges, community groups, anywhere they feel there is a need. Their most recent project is Book Swap Boxes; they are designed, made and decorated by volunteers and groups supported by their skilled tutor, Ron. Each is unique and reflects its community placement.

HFS wouldn't be able to run without the help of the amazing team of volunteers that show up every week. Some are long term unemployed, some have mental health issues, some are between jobs, some are young people learning skills to give them a better chance at getting a job. Every single one of them is a hero in my book.

The copyright for the design belongs to HFS, they printed it and will be dealing with the postage. All the proceeds will go back into helping local people.

Support Pea and the amazing group of volunteers making HFS run by getting one of their prints today, give something back to the community from the comfiness of your own home :)