The Aid & Assist Project was launched in 1983 from the founder's garage as an organisation to mainly offer and supply affordable property maintenance to low income families and, if possible, act as a warehouse distribution service for unwanted furniture. The project was funded through District/County Council grant aid. The project also gave the opportunity to unemployed people who wished to retrain in the areas of property maintenance and furniture restoration. By 1998 more people were becoming aware of the project services through completed work contracts and the quality of work. A decision was made to relocate to a small industrial unit (1000 sq ft) on the South Lowestoft Industrial Estate.

As the population of the Waveney area grew and unemployment increased due to the decline in local industries, the needs of the community started to change. Although there was still a great need for the property maintenance services, the demand for reused furniture increased and the premises the project was working from could not cope with the demand. In 2000 with the support of a European Social Fund grant (£196,000 over 2 years), the project opened up a warehouse/workshop (approximately 2220 sq ft) on the South Lowestoft Industrial Estate. The new workshop enabled the project to establish 9 work experience placements for the long term unemployed to repair and restore the furniture for sale.

In 2003/04 with the support of EDDA funding (£150,00 capital), the project opened a Town Centre Retail Outlet. This was due to the fact that only people with their own transport could access the original site, as public transport was poor. The financial support helped the project widen the catchment area from Town Centre to Waveney Valley. The industrial workshop was closed and the project incorporated its workshop at the back of the retail outlet.

The majority of customers using our services are: disabled, low waged, on benefits, elderly, single parent families or unemployed. Referrals are made through housing associations, citizen advice bureaus, welfare offices, social workers, community nurses and resettlement workers. The majority of our customers live in and around the five most deprived wards of Lowestoft - Normanston, Whitton, St. Margaret's, Harbour and Kirkley.

It soon became clear that the need for larger premises was necessary, and in 2005 the project gained support from CRED and was able to lease a new workshop in close proximity to the retail outlet. This not only enabled the project to increase its work experience placements to a maximum of 10 per day, but also allowed the project to diversify into making wooden products for sale to the general public.

At the beginning of 2007 the project was approached by the community payback team who requested placements for people serving community sentences. We have initially provided one day per week for a maximum of 10 people where they are able to produce the wooden products, repair and restore donated furniture. We have been asked by the payback team if we could offer more days per week and increase the training skills that we have on offer.