A FURNITURE recycling project in Kidderminster is celebrating its 10th anniversary by setting up a new shop and taking on more workers with the help of a £90,000 grant.

The Network Furniture Centre is part of the Oldington and Foley Park Community Network and runs mainly in that area. Now it is looking for vacant retail premises so the whole town can take advantage of its low cost donated furniture.

"The network is delighted to extend its services," said Community Network chief executive, Ellen Green.

She explained the two-year funding of £89,322 from the Big Lottery Fund's Community Recycling and Economic Development was "vital" to expand the service, which collects items of unwanted furniture and passes them on at low cost to people who need them.

Neil Pollard, manager of the furniture centre, said they could now take on another full-time worker, a driver and an assistant to join the two other part-time members.

"We ran a pilot project in a shop in Oxford Street from October, 2003 to September, 2004 and had a lot of interest," he said. "We need a shop to rent and refurbish which has to have good access and room for all the furniture. We've just missed out on a couple and we're still looking for somewhere suitable."

He added the project had grown rapidly in the 10 years since it was set up. As well as offering furniture for prices lower than second-hand shops, it encouraged recycling and cut the amount of goods being dumped.