I am the Chief Executive Officer of the Furniture Project (Stranraer) Limited, a small charity based in Stranraer on the west coast of Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland. The focus of my Fellowship is how reuse social enterprises can become sustainable and deliver impactful work to mitigate against the effects of poverty within local rural communities.

Having worked in the field of reuse for the Furniture Project since 1999, I recognise the value for such provision within the local community. I also recognise the challenge in making these projects sustainable while having an impact on combating poverty, which is what I am focusing my research on, so projects are able to move away from dependency on grant funding while having the greatest possible impact on combating the effects of poverty within rural communities.

I am hoping to achieve an understanding of how similar projects in the USA can have a positive impact on reducing the effects of poverty while facing the challenge of sustainability. I aim understand how sustainability can be achieved and maintained without grant funding while delivering their service effectively and beneficially.