Having worked together for over a decade to distribute grants to people in need in the London Borough of Croydon, typically distributing grant items such as white goods, furniture, vouchers and BACS payments through our service, Croydon trusted FFBS to deliver and install the white goods and furniture needed to turn an empty flat into a home.
The project
Croydon were looking for a supplier to help them with an initiative to prepare 85 flats for new tenants. These flats are a mix of social and private housing, and will provide permanent accommodation for around 85 residents in the Croydon area – many of whom were previously housed in temporary accommodation. FFBS were asked to supply white goods and beds to some of the homes.
The challenges
Croydon had funding which needed to be spent by a certain date to avoid being lost, which meant that they needed to reserve the furniture and white goods several months before they were ready for the items to be delivered. Additionally, once the properties were ready to be furnished, we moved quickly to deliver, build and install all of the items in just two days. Our Supplier Relationships team worked closely with our supplier, TFS, to adapt to Croydon’s tight timeframes and coordinate the massive two-day operation.
The delivery
On the day, one of our account managers was on site, along with some of the team from Croydon and TFS, making up a team of around 15 people on site to coordinate and execute the project. All the beds needed to be built and assembled with mattresses, every washing machine needed plumbing in and fridge freezer needed installing. The team worked together to ensure that the delivery days were well organised, and any issues that arose were solved on the day.
Before leaving the site, our suppliers ensured that every item had been delivered as promised, and that representatives from Croydon Council were happy with the results. With hundreds of items being delivered and installed, there was a huge amount of packaging – all of which was taken away and recycled by our supplier, ensuring that Croydon didn’t have to worry about anything on the day
