Lakeside North Harbour gives surplus office furniture a new lease of life

Lakeside North Harbour (Lakeside) is supporting a Portsmouth City Council initiative to give surplus office furniture a second life, helping to provide valuable resources for education and youth facilities here in Portsmouth and  Koutaya, Republic of Guinea.

As part of the initiative, 24 stackable chairs, a large boardroom table seating around 8–10 people and 50 matching desks from Lakeside have been donated through URBOND, with logistics support from Portico Logistics. The furniture will be used in the library and IT facilities of a brand-new school URBOND built in Koutaya, helping to create improved learning environments for students and educators.

The initiative provides a practical way to prevent usable furniture from going to waste, while supporting community facilities overseas and contributing to Lakeside’s environmental and community priorities.

The project has also demonstrated the wider impact that collaboration can have across the business campus. Upon hearing about the furniture donation, one of Lakeside’s occupiers, a well-known cosmetics company, contacted the team directly to offer surplus chairs of their own. The business has since been connected with URBOND, with the additional chairs set to be donated to a youth centre in Portsmouth, where they will be put to good use by the community.

The additional donation highlights how one initiative can encourage others to get involved, creating further opportunities to reuse resources and support communities.

Simon Bateman, Asset Manager at Lakeside North Harbour, said: “This is a brilliant example of how partnership and collaboration can create a positive impact. Furniture that is no longer needed here can be put to good use supporting students, educators and young people in Portsmouth and Koutaya, rather than going to waste.

“We’re also really pleased that the initiative has encouraged one of our occupiers to get involved and donate furniture of their own. It demonstrates the value of working together and finding practical ways to support both our environmental and community priorities.”

URBOND CEO Ousmane Drame said: “The support from Lakeside will make a meaningful difference across several areas of our work. The donated furniture will help equip and enhance our URBOND Centre here in Portsmouth, creating a more welcoming and functional environment for the young people, families, and community members we support.

In addition, the extra equipment sent to Guinea, in Koutaya, will help us equip the new school we completed last year, where children from underprivileged communities are receiving an education for the first time.

“Partnerships like this demonstrate the power of businesses and community organisations working together to create positive change. We are incredibly grateful for the generosity shown by Lakeside.” 

The initiative shows how surplus resources can be put to good use where they are needed most, extending the life of furniture while creating lasting value.