Giving School Furniture a New Life — from Alingsås to Ukraine

Two fully loaded trucks filled with school desks, chairs, shelves, and other reused materials are now on their way from Alingsås, Sweden, to the war-torn Kharkiv region in Ukraine.
This humanitarian shipment is part of a joint effort by Alingsås Municipality, Alingsåshem, Sweco, and Help Ukraine Gothenburg (HUG) — turning what once would have been waste into valuable resources for Ukrainian communities.

From Demolition to Renewal

The materials come from the recently demolished Ingared School. Instead of discarding them, the municipality and Alingsåshem chose to give the items a new life through reuse.

“Reusing more is an important new focus for us,” says Christian Sylvan, project manager at Alingsåshem.
“The demolition of Ingared School gave us a unique opportunity to give materials a second life — and it feels fantastic that the furniture and equipment will now make a real difference, both here at home and in Ukraine.”

The reused furniture and fixtures were stored in the former Alingsås fire station, now converted into a reuse warehouse by Alingsåshem. From there, two trucks were filled with 62 school desks, 273 chairs, 66 tables, 18 cupboards, 4 whiteboards, and a large amount of sanitary equipment such as toilets and sinks — all destined for Ukrainian schools and community centers.

Hands and Hearts from Sweden to Ukraine

On Wednesday, a team from Help Ukraine Gothenburg (HUG) joined local partners in Alingsås to help pack and load the trucks.
Among the volunteers was Olena Petrus, representing HUG.

“We are deeply, deeply grateful for the help and support to Ukraine in this difficult time,” she said while helping to label and organize the furniture.

Six volunteers from HUG — Pelle, Per, Monica, Gunell, Anders, and Åsa — worked side by side with local partners to make the shipment possible.

“Been in Alingsås today and packed lots of school benches for HUG – Help Ukraine Gothenburg – for transport to Ukraine,” wrote Pelle on Facebook after the long day.
“Pain in the back, but good in the heart.”

A Partnership for the Future

This collaboration marks another successful example of how Swedish communities can contribute to Ukraine’s rebuilding through sustainable and practical actions.
The organizations involved hope to continue this partnership, creating new cycles of reuse and support — where every item can make a difference.