Debenhams’ Mannequins Helps Uni’s Sustainability Goal
When Debenhams in Gloucester closed its doors, it put its fixtures and fittings to good use, donating hundreds of mannequins to the University of Gloucestershire, so the education establishment can achieve its sustainability targets.
The city centre store closed in May, leaving a huge number of mirrors, display cabinets, clothes rails and mannequins that would have to be thrown away.
However, as the university recently announced it wants to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030, it decided to use the old items of furniture after buying the building and transforming it into a new campus space.
Rachel Porter, facilities manager (projects) at the University, said the aim was to recycle or re-use as many items from the closed department store as possible.
They will become permanent features in the 1930 Art Deco building, which the university purchased following the closure of Debenhams. It has become a huge-scale refurbishment project that will see it transformed into a modern learning space in the heart of the city centre. Having been part of the store for four decades, the mannequins were relevant additions to the campus building.
The university has also tried to gift as many of the fixtures and fittings to local charities, so they can continued to be utilised.
“We have managed to re-house a number of items such as mirrors, hanging rails, foot stools, mannequins, tables and curtains to these groups,” said Ms Porter.
The mannequins were particularly popular, with some community groups using the abandoned items to use on Christmas or scarecrow trails, for Halloween activities, and even for a school allotment club.
Some of the mannequins will be taken to Swindon town centre’s Survivor shop, which is due to open later this year.
This store is being opened by the Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service, aiming at supporting victims and survivors of domestic abuse. The charity, which offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day, every day of the year, is “delighted” with its gifts.
Chair of the organisation Nicky Alberry said: “As we move to bigger premises, we are going to be able to raise even more funds to support those who need our services.”
It was added that these donations are “crucial” for the longevity of the charity, and the Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service is “very grateful to the University of Gloucestershire for making them available to us”.
More fixtures and fittings of the department store will also be used for Gloucester’s Furniture Recycling Project (FRP).
Chair of the FRP Dawn Melvin described the initiative to re-use what was left of the building as “superb”, adding: “It’s so much better for them to find a new life rather than them go into landfill.”
She added that it is also “rather wonderful” to be able to keep the memory of Debenhams alive in the shop, as well as in the new university building, as the department store had such a presence in the area.
Gloucestershire Live described the store as a “cornerstone of the city centre” before its closure on May 12th, following the demise of the 242-year-old business.
Despite being worth £1.7 billion in 2006, its popularity began to decline over the last decade, forcing it to shut its 124 stores across the country, reported BBC News.
The pandemic proved the final straw for the company, as shoppers retreated from the high street and took their buying online. A change in shopping habits also saw the retailer record a loss of £491.5 million in 2018.
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