Army gives Shropshire refugee charity a helping hand with an important donation from local firm

A recent A Good Thing match between a community-minded office supply company and an inspirational refugee charity has shown just how powerful the right donation can be. Two bold organisations – and even the Army – took centre stage to brighten the future for families in need.

A growing problem

For thousands of refugees every year, reaching the UK is just the start of a long and difficult journey. Legal, linguistic, and bureaucratic obstacles line their paths, and many face destitution and homelessness once here. In fact, the number of refugees suffering street homelessness rose by about nine times within a five-month period last year alone.

But there’s hope. A Good Thing has supported several UK refugee charities working around the clock to reduce these numbers and give refugees the prospect of a better future.

Shropshire charity working with refugees

One such charity is Shropshire Supports Refugees. They’ve been long-time supporters of A Good Thing, which, Amanda Jones, charity CEO said, ‘has been a blessing to [them] on many occasions’. Amanda went in to explain the motivation behind Shropshire Supports Refugees’ incredible efforts:

‘Some peoples’ journeys are experiences that no person should ever have to even imagine, let alone live through . . . We like the first word that comes out of our mouth to be ‘yes’ if there’s ever an opportunity to improve the lives of the people we support.’

When Lyreco – a Shropshire-based office supplier with a sustainable focus – decided to get involved, Shropshire Supports Refugees said ‘yes’!

A heartwarming mission

The charity has been involved in establishing a refugee centre at an Army base near Shrewsbury, set up as part of the government’s Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) to aid Afghan nationals fleeing the Taliban. As part of their mission to ‘offer practical support, clothing, education, emotional support, and mental health and wellbeing activities’ – as well as ‘a bit of fun,’ too – Shropshire Supports Refugees has been doing sterling work collecting essential materials for a ‘children and family room’ on the base.

When Lyreco came to A Good Thing with an offer of chairs and other materials (otherwise bound for landfill), the perfect match was made.

Chairs being loaded into Army van at Lyreco

Lyreco was only too happy to help Emily Bell, Sustainability Officer at the firm commented:

‘Our donation aims to make a tangible impact by providing resources to deserving causes. At Lyreco, we prioritise a circular economy, ensuring that products are reused whenever possible before recycling. We hope our contribution will enable a good cause to maximise its resources effectively.’

The Army, too, recognising the value of the donation and the importance of the goal, was happy to get involved and organise the delivery of the chairs to the charity.

Circular solutions at Lyreco

Lyreco is always looking at new ways to ‘prioritise a circular economy’ and was thrilled to discover how easily this can be achieved with A Good Thing. They described the process as ‘a breeze,’ saying: ‘The portal is incredibly user-friendly, and we were pleasantly surprised when [Shropshire Supports Refugees] reached out to us for our donation within just a day.’

In particular, A Good Thing represents an opportunity to make the maximum possible impact with only half the work Emily said:

‘We were drawn to A Good Thing because of its extensive network of charities. While we already contribute to charitable causes, this platform streamlined the process, allowing us to connect with a wide range of local organisations without the manual effort of reaching out individually. A Good Thing's swift editing and validation of our ad only added to the appeal.’

Multiple matches!

Likewise, Shropshire Supports Refugees has enjoyed a productive relationship with our platform, having often turned to it for aid. From hand gel to furniture donations to support individuals from Syria to Afghanistan to Ukraine, the charity’s ability to improve the lives of those in need relies on these kinds of powerful relationships.

Though the way to prosperity may be long for the families at Nesscliffe Army Base, a glimmer of hope has become visible through the hard work and persistence of devoted organisations like Lyreco and Shropshire Supports Refugees.

The team at A Good Thing thanks everyone involved in the match for their support. We look forward to matching Lyreco and its customers in the future.

If you’re a business that’s been inspired by this story, why not see how much of a positive impact you can have by signing up to A Good Thing?

Or, if you’re a charity improving the lives of those in need in your community and need a few things, why not what’s on offer at A Good Thing.