Spare Bed?

We have a Women's refuge in a neighbouring town who welcome such things for either their shelter or for families being rehomed. We donated our kids' stuff when they left home and two women came with their small kiddies to collect it in a borrowed van. The kiddies posted us pictures they had drawn to thank us!

Marmight

I know what you mean. On the ‘Free’ site, there was a mattress, ‘with a few stains, but would do as a starter’, the stains were very obvious on the photo.

And someone wanted it!

It looked awful, but if you haven’t anything else….

We have an amazing charity in our town for locals in need. There are 3 stalls in an inside market which sell bric a brac, clothes and children’s’ stuff and make a huge amount of money. However, on their local FB page donors can post anything larger they have to dispose of and anyone can take the item for a donation to the cause. All very organised. I am absolutely shocked at the condition of some of the donations but even more shocking is that people actually want them. Of course there are wonderful well cared for items too but many items are worn, dirty and in need of a good wash and missing bits. Personally I wouldn’t touch them with a barge pole. I don’t understand why the items are not cleaned/washed/made good before donating.
Your wonderful bed would be in great demand & gone in a flash with a queue of hopeful recipients. Strange old world. I suppose it depends on areas as to what is acceptable 🤔

That’s great, well done. I hope you enjoy your room.

Charities here are not collecting beds just now as they have so many in stock, so my own little project for repurposing a room is on hold for now. We’ll see what the Spring brings.

UPDATE!

I advertised the bed on our ‘Give For Free’ local Facebook page. No interest.

I tried again the other day, with a revised photo.

Result! It has been collected this morning by a nice lady who wanted it for her little GD’s when they come to stay. She said the storage drawers will be great to hold their toys, and she was happy to take the duvets, mattress protector and fitted sheet also.

So pleased it’s gone where it will be used.

Win, win for both of us.

dogsmother

Ugh…..loaned a beautiful double bed to dds friend. Never again, it was returned in a very stained mattress way and I was horrified. Very glad I hadn’t been there to see it going back up the stairs or I would have said stop and don’t put it back!

Sympathies on that one. I've had that stunt pulled on me.

Back when I took in lodgers years back = I managed financially to stop having to do that and arranged to sell the bed I'd bought new for them. It had about 5 years worth of use - so should still have been in good condition and I took the mattress cover off it whilst someone was literally en route to buy it from me - to discover that the last lodger had obviously not made it to the loo in time (more than once by the look of it I'd say) and he'd ruined that bed he'd only used for a few weeks personally (yep...I'd given him his notice for bad behaviour and had told him to move out - but hadnt realised his behaviour had been quite that bad). He was a social worker too!!!! - I reckoned he needed a social worker himself...as no-one had ever told him to behave properly.

I was not pleased to have to ring her en route and tell her the bed was no longer in saleable condition and I was going to have the trouble of having to bin it.

Ugh…..loaned a beautiful double bed to dds friend. Never again, it was returned in a very stained mattress way and I was horrified. Very glad I hadn’t been there to see it going back up the stairs or I would have said stop and don’t put it back!

I sold my spare single beds with mattresses.Used Facebook Marketplace. They were in very good condition. You won't get a lot for it, but at least it won't be going to landfill.

I nearly gave away a fold up single bed but I'm glad I kept it as [very] occasionally we have a friend to stay over

A lot of towns and cities have free/gifting pages on FB and there are so many people out there who would be so grateful for a good clean bed.
My local gifting page is always posting, it's well established and I have got rid of a lot of things on there, furniture, lamps, kitchen items, beds and bedding, I have also picked up some lovely items for our own home, last one being a lovely rattan shelf unit, it's quite well loved but that adds to it's charm.
All the person who's being gifted said item has to do is collect it or arrange delivery, if they ask for it to be delivered by you then you charge fuel money... usually about a fiver, if you can't deliver because your car is too small, then the onus is on them to collect. Most gifting/freebie pages will have similar rules

Freegle is great. Lots of needy people want furniture and it is scandalous that there are children in the UK without a bed to sleep in. The only problem is that those who want them may not have transport to collect in. I gave away a single mattress and the recipient was very grateful. I'd received a memory foam one from freegle as my DD was finding the original one was no longer supportive enough as an adult when she came to stay. I managed to collect the mattress in my estate car but would not have managed a bed base.
When my mum died I cleared much of her furniture on freegle. The only reason the bed didn't go was the person who wanted it couldn't get it in his car!

Thank you for all suggestions.

Am not sure if the bed has a fire certificate, will check when I strip it down.

A spare bed and old, but pristine, mattress was collected from us this morning... DH advertised it on Freebay.

blue14

The British Heart Foundation will come and collect it.
However, I don't know if this happens in all areas.
You could also contact The Salvation Army as they help many people set up homes.
It would be such a waste to take it to the tip.

BHF collects in our area, but.....
Recently I had a table to give away, it was Ercol & a practical size 4 - seater.
BHF gave me a collection date & I had to fill in a questionairre, tick-box only, so I ticked table & they emailed to say no tables unless they had matching chairs. So it's still in the garage.
I'm sure, being Ercol with only minor scuffs, someone will snap it up on freecycle (should be posting it actually, not gransnetting!)

We had similar issue with our GC and space in our spare room. We bought 2 IKEA bed chairs so the grandchildren have somewhere to sleep and I have a room to sit comfortably writing or reading.

We had similar issue with our GC and space. We bought 2 bed chairs so the grandchildren have somewhere to sleep and I have a room to sit comfortably writing or reading.

Rearranging a small bedroom and had a single bed to dispose of. Local charity came to check it ensuring clean, no damage and fire certificated. Someone suggested the charity to me and I was amazed they were interested. Collected a couple of days later. The Charity is not a national one. There are charities out there that will be interested. I didn't advertise on local "free" sites as previous experience when advertising furniture is that folk expect it to be delivered too. They are not willing to find a van for uplift.

Someone was glad of ours, which was hardly used, for her grandson who had just gone into a bed, for when he came for sleepovers. I put it on Freecycle.

Another double bed, still good but older, went to an upcycling place where they strip it into separate components, re-using what they can and recycling other parts.
I did have to pay £20 for them to take it, as it's run by volunteers, but better than going to the dump.

If you want to give it away, try Emmaus. They will remove furniture.

FB has groups Free to collect or FB market place. Should go to a gd home on there
HTH

There are plenty of charities that will come and collect.

Just give it a bit of thought. And pick up the phone.

Maybe try your local Facebook group. In some areas of the country at least there are various specific give-away and swap FB groups.

Personally I just tend to put up that I'm offering whatever-it-is for free on my personal Facebook page - and there's usually one or two people that ask for it that way.

Do you have a rehousing the homeless project in your town? They are always 9n the lookout for furniture when setting people up and I’m sure they’d appreciate a bed.

Freecycle is also a good place to start too but be mindful……some people want things delivered and even set up for them! Be clear that it’s collection only!

Emaus if got the fireproof certificate? In France they would snap it up .

Put it on Marketplace for a small sum or on a buy nothing group. I disposed of a single bed and acquired a double bed in the same week. Also try BHF or Emmaus.