Youth charity is given a helping hand to spread joy, love and positivity

A beautiful parcel to open

Opening the jiffy bag from Chameleon & Co brought a delighted smile to Hannah Asquith’s face when it landed on her desk at the charity Youth Concern: she could already picture the pleasure these beautiful little pin badges would give to the hard-working staff and kind volunteers she was planning to gift them to.

More than 40 years of amazing work with young people

For 41 years Youth Concern has been supporting vulnerable 13–25-year-olds across Aylesbury Vale. The independent charity operates a drop-in centre from Whitehill Lane in the town centre, with a music recording studio, a table tennis table and a pool table, as well as a whole host of events to draw young people in. (Mixed martial arts, anyone? Photography workshops? Gardening? Art?)

The centre is a safe space for young people, and welcomes around 500 a year. Services on offer include counselling, accommodation advice, and support with sexual health, drug and alcohol issues.

Hannah, the charity’s chief executive, explains: “There’s low-level social work going on all the time at the centre. Our informal way of operating means we can reach young people really well.”

Youth homelessness is on the rise. At Christmas the charity opened its first supported accommodation project, offering 9 homeless or at risk of homeless young people a room of their own for up to 18 months. During their time at the Next Step project, residents engage with a bespoke learning programme, preparing them to live independently post-project. The charity also runs Aylesbury Night Stop, which provides up to three nights’ emergency accommodation for vulnerable young people.

A devastating gap

The charity has been operating for 41 years, but (as for many charities) the past year has been extraordinary. Youth Concern has had to take on three additional counsellors to deal with the increase in demand for its services. Hannah explains:

“We reopened for face-to-face work with young people in July 2020, following the first lockdown, and things have been busier than ever. The pandemic has affected everyone, but for those who were already vulnerable pre-Covid it has been even worse. The gap between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ has devastatingly widened.”

Hannah tells me there was a big flurry of activity at the beginning of the pandemic – businesses with CSR (corporate social responsibility) programmes were keen to help out, and grant-making bodies rallied around – but things have shifted, and at the moment much of the energy is going into emergency projects. There is less of a focus on some of the long-term, preventative and much-needed work that Youth Concern is engaged in.

Joining up the dots

Hannah was pleased when she heard about A Good Thing via the community foundation Heart of Bucks, and liked the concept straightaway:

“I spent a year working for a private company some years ago, and saw the waste that can be created. Businesses might replace furniture, for example, and would like to give their old furniture to a good cause, but just don’t know how to go about it. I like organisations that are joining the dots between the charity and private sectors: it’s just a win–win.”

Claire Winlow from Chameleon & Co was delighted to have been able to help Youth Concern:

“I loved the whole concept of A Good Thing and the idea of connecting with local charities, and wanted to get involved to support the pilot.”

Gifts that are full of love

Chameleon & Co designs and sells accessories and gifts featuring stylish original animal artwork. It sells online as well as in independent gift shops across Oxfordshire, and its range includes ‘positive message’ gifts designed to brighten up someone’s day. Perfect for what Hannah at Youth Concern had in mind!

Claire at Chameleon & Co explains:

“We donated a collection of pin badges with positive messages, with the idea that a charity could use them for staff appreciation, with the people they support, or as a raffle prize. We received several requests for the pins from different charities and were sorry not to be able to send to everyone interested. However, we occasionally have slight ‘seconds’ (items with minor cosmetic flaws) so in future we’ll definitely save these up to offer via A Good Thing. This will be a great way to avoid landfill and support a local charity.”

Claire found it quick and easy to use A Good Thing for the first time:

“I was really impressed: it only took a few minutes to post the offer – it was really easy and intuitive. And I was amazed at the speed with which the first charity request came through – literally minutes after the offer post had gone live! We had a few requests from different charities come through quickly, and enjoyed being able to read a bit about the charities on the A Good Thing site. We could then pick one that we felt was a particularly good fit with our business. I had offered to send the badges by post, so it was easy to arrange with the charity.”

Such a wonderful way to say ‘thank you’

The badges jumped out at Hannah straightaway when she read the offer email that arrived:

“There’s not enough money for extras at the moment at all – nothing for the nice little things that can really make someone’s day. So when I saw the badges being offered, I knew they would make a wonderful ‘thank you’ for the people who have gone the extra mile for Youth Concern in the past year or so.”

Hannah was very positive about the process of engaging with A Good Thing for the first time, too:

“I love A Good Thing: the emails with offers drop straight into my inbox, and then they’re so quick to skim-read. I delete anything that’s not relevant, but the whole process is so simple. I requested these pin badges as soon as I saw the offer, and the company responded very quickly. It was all sorted, and the parcel arrived within a day or two.”

The icing on the cake

Hannah was so pleased with the donation from Chameleon & Co:

“In the voluntary sector, we’re often so focused on the needs of our clients, we forget about the importance of looking after our own wellbeing. These badges are just a little reminder to staff and volunteers that they’re appreciated. A Good Thing has helped us to do that.”