A London-based YMCA receives a complete kitchen following a request for chairs via A Good Thing
We often hear news of a charity receiving additional donations of ‘things’ from a business when it goes along to collect an item following a match made on the A Good Thing app. But we were super delighted when Hema Patel from YMCA London City and North contacted us to say she had received a whole new kitchen alongside the chairs she had originally requested!
A long legacy
YMCA London City and North is an independent charity affiliated with the YMCA movement that was founded in 1844 by Sir George Williams. YMCA London City and North is a newly-merged organisation formed of two well-established London YMCAs: City YMCA London and YMCA North London. Both are steeped in history and deeply rooted in the communities they serve.
YMCA North London has been providing accommodation to young homeless people for almost 120 years, having opened its first purpose-built hostel in Crouch End in 1903. Today it continues to provide a home to more than 300 residents annually, making it North London’s largest homeless hostel.
City YMCA opened in 1972 with its first 16-storey youth accommodation on the iconic Barbican Estate. In 2012 the building was returned to the City of London Corporation after providing homes to young people for 40 years. Since then, the charity has opened Monarch Court, an 87-room hostel in Hackney, and built a brand new flagship building, LandAid House, just a short walk from where it all began.
Regenerating the space
Hema Patel, Health and Safety and Compliance Manager for YMCA London City and North, is tasked with the huge job of ensuring that the communal spaces throughout the three large hostels are inviting and accessible to all its residents. Monarch Court, which opened in 2015, has already supported over 700 young people experiencing homelessness. Some of the spaces were in need of an update, as Hema explained:
‘Providing young people with a communal space where they feel safe and can interact with others is hugely important. Having a space where they can cook and dine together helps individuals to develop self-confidence. We want to provide a space that young people can call home. Ensuring that the spaces feel fresh and vibrant is important: it shows that we care, and that we’re providing a safe and pleasant place to call home.’
Hema was delighted when she saw a number of vibrant chairs listed on the A Good Thing app: ‘They were just what we needed and I decided to grab them quickly!’
Arranging collection
Due to relocation, Omni Partners LLP, a London-based investment management firm, were seeking a new home for chairs and tables that were no longer fit for purpose. As the items were in great condition, they were keen to find a new home for them rather than sending them to landfill. They accepted Hema’s request for the chairs, and contact details were exchanged:
‘As part of the email exchange to arrange collection, the business made me aware of a number of white goods that were heading for the skip. They were not going to be required by the new tenants. The business sent over some photographs, and it turned out the items were housed in a kitchen unit that looked barely used. It was complete with worktops, cupboards, an integrated microwave and a sink. We enquired what would be happening to these, and were told they were heading for the skip too. We mobilised a team of handymen and organised a collection of the complete lot. It was perfect, a fantastic surprise.’
Hema Patel, YMCA London City and North
The final inventory of items collected by the YMCA included four meeting room chairs, ten office chairs, one credenza, two fridges, a microwave and a dishwasher - along with complete kitchen units.
An old pro
Not long after the items had been collected, a second local offer caught the attention of Hema: two rolls of vinyl flooring that had been listed by local charity Vital Xposure, a dynamic disabled-led theatre company based at the Hackney Empire. As the flooring had been discontinued by the manufacturer, and was no longer needed by Vital Xposure, it was listed via A Good Thing to be shared with a fellow local charity. It proved to be the icing on the cake for Hema and her team:
‘The flooring was just what we needed to complete the job. It will be put into the young people’s canteen along with the new kitchen. It was perfect timing, the furniture in Monarch Court was not in a good state and now it has had a complete makeover. This is the third time I have used A Good Thing to source items for our hostels and I just love it, it’s so straightforward and easy to use, I’m an old pro!’
Hema and the team at YMCA London City and North are now on the lookout for sofas, bar stools, tables and stackable chairs to refurbish another communal space.
If you’re a charity looking for similar items, don’t miss out: sign up now!
Do you have items to support the next refurbishment project at YMCA London City and North?
Has this article inspired you to partner with A Good Thing and reach charities in your local community?
