Rapid success as filing cabinets find a new home in less than 24 hours in Telford

With the cost-of-living and climate crises continuing to take hold, Telford and Wrekin Council and Enterprise Telford put on an informative event to help local businesses navigate uncharted times. The “Business Support Showcase: Energy Efficiency & Resilience” event, held at Telford Football Club on 8 February, was jam-packed with an array of informative talks and a range of exhibitors. A Good Thing was invited along to share our alternative approach to waste management and to highlight how easy it is to send less to landfill and more to a good cause.

Meeting the business

During a coffee break at the event, A Good Thing’s Anna began chatting with Ian Hoy, the Manager of Estates and Health and Safety at Shropdoc. He explained that the business, which provides urgent primary care services for patients across England and Wales, had recently had a sort-out and had four filing cabinets that were about to make their way into a skip.

Having learned a little about how A Good Thing works, and about how simple it is to offer items to local charities via the app, Ian took a postcard from Anna and decided to ‘give it a go’ later that afternoon.

Lockable storage is in demand!

Back at the office, Ian created his listing, having taken a quick photograph of the filing cabinets. He was taken aback by just how quickly two local charities requested the offer:

‘‘It was simple to register and log our first offer. I was stunned by how fast we received responses, too – less than 24 hours and it was all sorted.”

Lockable storage is often popular when listed on the A Good Thing app, and is one of our most highly requested charity needs. It was no surprise that the furniture was snapped up quickly!

Perfect timing

Telford Crisis Support (TCS), who were chosen by Shropdoc to receive the donated items, were over the moon with the cabinets. Simon Lellow, Operations Manager at the charity, explained that TCS had recently been undertaking a sort-out. Demand for their services continues to grow, and important documentation needs to be stored securely:

“This was great timing, as the filing cabinets are exactly the solution we were looking for. We collected them on Friday and they’re already in use!”

TCS, a volunteer-led charity that has been in operation since 2013, has sadly seen a massive increase in demand for its services in recent years. It is an independent charity that strives to be more than a foodbank, by providing a wide range of related support services for individuals and families across the borough of Telford and Wrekin, as well as across rural Shropshire.

Alongside TCS’s core offer – a foodbank service – TCS runs a baby and toddler bank, and a pre-loved school uniform scheme. Through selective partnerships and collaborations, the charity provides help with home energy, re-homing, support for bed poverty community projects, community events, and more.

TCS is now on the lookout for dollies, to enable the charity to safely move donated items around its facilities. Simon commented:

“With increased demand, we’re handling more products. We need to ensure our volunteers have the equipment they need to move items safely.”

Reflecting on a rapid result

The Energy Efficiency & Resilience event was a huge success, Anna met a huge range of like-minded businesses seeking innovative solutions as they continue to become more sustainable. Lots of businesses were inspired by A Good Thing and took away postcards ready to embark on a spring clean of their offices in the coming months.

Reflecting on the morning, Anna said:

“This was a super successful event, thank you to Erica and the team for inviting A Good Thing along. It was great to meet businesses from across Telford and Shropshire that are seeking information on how to sustainably manage their energy and waste. It was fantastic that a business went away and immediately gave A Good Thing a go! I’m delighted that the filing cabinets are already in use in their new home.”

If you’re a charity looking for similar items, don’t miss out: sign up now!

Has this article inspired you to partner with A Good Thing and reach charities in your local community?