The Big Womble

"Underground Overground wombling free, the Wombles of Wimbledon Common are we, making good use of the things that we find, things that the everyday folk leave behind"I never saw a Womble (except on the BBC's Top of The Pops) but clearly there are believers .... Debbie Harry has donated a T-shirt, actress Joanna Lumley has found an old armchair and tennis star Pat Cash is giving up an  old sofa for a raffle with a difference, all connected to the Womble ethos.  The trio were among a group of celebrities who donated furniture and other household items to THE BIG WOMBLE, an event promoting furniture reuse. Organised by the Furniture Reuse Network (FRN), the event at Wimbledon College, in London, encouraged people to become Wombles for the day by making good use of old furniture that they found. Every year, millions of perfectly good household items and pieces of furniture are thrown away in the UK, but many can be reused. Every tonne of furniture rescued from landfill saves an average of nearly three tonnes of carbon.  One of the highlights of the event, on February 20, was the raffle of items donated by celebrities, with money going towards FRN's work to help people on low incomes get second-hand furniture and other household items.  VDebbie Harry said: "I've donated to the Big Womble because people who've been homeless need a helping hand and many of these organisations help with that."  The London Community Recycling Network (LCRN), which is coordinating the event, encouraged Londoners to bring in old and unwanted furniture and household items to be refurbished and reused with the help of eco-friendly designer Ryan Frank.Image from the BBC