Why a Furniture Alliance Matters for Buckinghamshire — And Why It Must Happen Now

The UK’s furniture industry is at a crossroads.

The idea of a Furniture Alliance isn't just about meetings or mailing lists — it’s about creating practical, visible networks that work.

In recent years, we’ve seen a sharp decline in domestic manufacturing, growing skills shortages, and a lack of joined-up thinking across education, industry and local government. Despite its proud heritage, the sector risks falling into managed decline — unless we act now.

At Wycombe Furniture Forum (WFF), we believe there is another way.

Buckinghamshire, and particularly High Wycombe, has long been associated with quality furniture making. From the heyday of Windsor chair production to today’s skilled workshops and design studios, this region has both the craft and the capacity to remain a key player in UK furniture — but only if we come together.

Why an Alliance?

The idea of a Furniture Alliance isn't just about meetings or mailing lists — it’s about creating a practical, visible network that works across:

• Industry – to support makers, manufacturers, and suppliers of all sizes

• Education – to align training with real-world skills and open up opportunities for students and apprentices

• Local Government & Support Bodies – to bring funding, infrastructure and policy into meaningful conversation with the sector

• Media & Design Partners – to tell the story of Bucks furniture on a regional and national stage

  
  

What an Alliance Can Deliver

By working together under a shared banner, we can:

Strengthen local job opportunities by creating pathways from education to employment and supporting local recruitment efforts.

Align skills training with industry needs by helping colleges and universities tailor their courses based on real-time input from local employers.

Promote sustainable, high-quality furniture making by amplifying the value of craftsmanship, reuse, innovation, and responsible materials.

Give Bucks a voice in national conversations by coordinating our message, we can better influence funding, apprenticeships, and investment at a national level.

Inspire the next generation by celebrating the craft and creativity of the furniture sector, we can attract young people to careers that are skilled, secure and meaningful.

WFF: A Prototype in Progress

Wycombe Furniture Forum is already laying the groundwork for this kind of alliance.

We’ve brought together manufacturers, educators, advisors, and support organisations. We’ve begun mapping needs, sharing knowledge, and building trust.

We’re hosting conversations that haven’t happened in years — and asking tough but hopeful questions about the future.

But this can’t be done in isolation.

To succeed, we need the wider sector to get involved — to shape, support, and co-create this alliance from the ground up.

The Time Is Now

The pressures on the furniture industry are real, but so is the opportunity.

Buckinghamshire still has the talent, the tools, and the tradition to lead. What it needs now is collective purpose — a structure that links its past to its future.

If you’re part of this sector — whether you’re a maker, teacher, designer, policymaker or student — we invite you to join us.

Add your voice.

Offer your ideas.

Help us turn goodwill into momentum.

Let’s make the Bucks furniture sector something to be proud of again — together!