Charities get creative with Body Shop donation
Find out how two ambitious organisations are helping to refresh communities, improve mental wellbeing and enhance local biodiversity by putting a creative twist on discarded storage containers - all for free!
Reusing old storage containers
Chances are, you’ve never thought twice about your old storage containers. We throw out over two million tonnes of plastic packaging every year in the UK alone. But have you ever wondered what life they might have beyond your cupboards?
Two incredible A Good Thing members have, and they’re going above and beyond to prove that, with a little vision and a pinch of creativity, unassuming second-hand storage items can have a massive impact on community life – and beyond.
Super creative charities
David Snatt (director at Leamington Sky Garden CIC) and his team of volunteers are on an inspiring mission to transform a disused viaduct above Leamington Old Town into a thriving outdoor oasis for their community; what’s more, they support other ‘green groups’ in the area. David told us:
‘We discovered a project called 10,000 Sunflowers organised by CLEAN (Cubbington and Lillington Environmental Action Now), whose aim was to get residents in the area involved in cultivating sunflowers to be planted in public places. . . The collaboration has quickly gathered momentum and enthusiasm with schools, care homes, libraries and churches joining in.’
How many plant pots do 10,000 sunflowers need? Answer: a lot – which is why David joined A Good Thing. He said: ‘We were lucky enough to receive a whole load of donated wicker baskets and pots donated by The Body Shop via A Good Thing.’
And they aren’t the only ones putting The Body Shop’s donation to good use: Forest of Hearts is a non-profit CIO working tirelessly to ‘create a greener, healthier and more sustainable future where people and nature can thrive’ (Carole Longden, Forest of Hearts Founder).
Where we might see waste, Forest of Hearts sees potential: the recycled stock ‘will be used to create Bug and Bee B&Bs. . . so that we can raise funds to run Green Therapy – weekly gardening sessions for people with mental health and/or learning difficulties.’
These fantastic efforts show that donations don’t have to be expensive to be valuable; small, unassuming and disused ‘everyday’ items can be transformed by enterprising pioneers and have a hugely positive impact on those in need and communities at large.
Keeping the ethos alive
The Body Shop Stratford-upon-Avon (now sadly closed) was only too happy to help with this endeavour, saying:
‘I wanted to make sure I could reduce waste and landfill as much as possible. The items I put on the site couldn’t be sold and weren’t of use to charity shops so A Good Thing was perfect for this’ (Beverley Paris).
It was easy to make a donation, too: Beverley told us that, as a first-time user, she’d received interest ‘within hours’ of posting her items. Likewise, Carole from Forest of Hearts thought the process was ‘very smooth and efficient.’
These donations will be useful for many weeks to come: Leamington Sky Garden has two upcoming events – Potting Up Day on the 20th of April and Planting Out Day six weeks later – and Forest of Hearts will continue its brilliant therapy and team events.
Has this article planted a seed? If you’re a charity looking to do something similar, don’t miss out – there are hundreds of things looking for a new home on the A Good Thing app.
If you’re a business that wants to help shape a better future for your community, don’t hesitate to get involved!