Assistance

At present, despite being a major source of employment and wealth creation, the assistance and support enjoyed by the UK furniture manufacturing industry is limited. The funds available from Government have reduced considerably in recent times and the limited amount that is currently available is typically provided in a piecemeal fashion, usually as part of another initiative rather than aimed specifically at the furniture industry.

The biggest government funded project currently underway is UKfirst, an industry forum for furniture manufacturing, supported by £1.74m from BERR. UKfirst is a five year programme, launched in 2003, which aims to improve the competitiveness of the UK furniture industry by helping it to achieve world class performance in quality, cost and delivery. It has achieved widespread recognition and support from manufacturers across all sectors of the industry and has a track record of delivering measurable successes.

Support from the regions is notable for its absence. Despite furniture manufacturing being a major industry, its geographical spread means that most Regional Development Agencies do not regard it as a priority sector. The only exception is Advantage West Midlands which has established Furniture West Midlands. However, even here the support is limited.

The BFC regularly meets with government Ministers, Members of Parliament and civil servants in order to raise issues of concern and lobby key stakeholders on behalf of the industry.