A national not-for-profit organisation is continuing its mission to match charities in need, with businesses looking to reduce their landfill waste.
A Good Thing was established by a husband-and-wife team in March 2020. They devised a bespoke app which makes it easy for businesses to donate unwanted items to local charities, reducing the amount sent to landfill each year, and instead allowing them to give more to a good cause.
Cathy Benwell, Co-Founder of A Good Thing, said: “My husband Richard and I had the idea for A Good Thing a long while ago, and finally during lockdown were able to dedicate appropriate time to setting it up.
“Since we launched, we’ve matched over 100 charities with businesses, supporting them with much sought-after items. It’s such a delight to see how unwanted stuff can be given a new purpose and new life when gifted to those who need it. Some donated items, however, are more unusual – I’ve often thought things won’t be rehomed, but have always been proved wrong!”
Over the past two years, A Good Thing has seen a variety of items donated, from stationery to laptops, and furniture to leftover paint. But some weird and wonderful products have also changed hands, proving that one man’s trash truly is another man’s treasure.
“Recently, we’ve had toiletries and perfume samples listed on the app, which were gratefully received by charities working with vulnerable women and survivors of domestic abuse,” Cathy continued.
“Brent Mencap, a learning disability charity, also accepted 50 brightly-coloured painted wooden panels to decorate their newly-refurbished garden room.
“And we’ve seen a Subbuteo football table, a giant wooden puppet, scaffold poles and fixings, candles, tin cans, and much more, all listed and repurposed in their new homes. All items that would have otherwise been thrown to landfill! So, not only does A Good Thing support charities in their search for useful items, but it enhances business sustainability plans and aims to protect our planet. It’s the ultimate win:win!”
Katy O’Neill Gutierrez, Founder of Blaze Trails CIC, added: “A Good Thing is a brilliant idea, and such a great platform. The app alerts me when something is available in my local area, and I love browsing through to see if it would benefit our organisation. To date, we’ve received a printer through A Good Thing matchmaking, and we absolutely appreciate the opportunity it’s given us.”
A Good Thing CIC is a not-for-profit company, matchmaking businesses who care with amazing local charities. After a successful trial in 2021 in the Thames Valley, the initiative was launched nationwide, endeavouring to make it easy for businesses to donate unwanted items to local charities using a simple app.
