Projecting positivity: UMi’s bright donation to Tyneside and Northumberland Mind

UMi, a Durham-based company providing expertise, inspiration, and finance to help businesses do more and go further, has recently donated two projectors to a local mental health charity, Tyneside and Northumberland Mind.

UMi, a business of the future, long before its time, just seems to have ‘making business a force for good’ in its DNA.

Whenever there’s an opportunity to make a positive impact, big or small, the team at UMi jumps on it.

This passion is clearly inspired by their CEO, Nikki Clark, whose leadership has created a successful employee-owned business with a focus far beyond just profit. They’re on a never-ending journey to becoming the most sustainable and equitable business they can be.

One member of that team is Jean Royal, Office Manager at UMi. Jean helps bring the company’s vision to life by diving in and turning plans into action. One of the many things Jean has worked on recently was listing their first donation on A Good Thing.

Following UMi’s generous donation, Jean agreed to have a chat with me to share all the good things they’re up to and her experience using A Good Thing.

Getting started with A Good Thing

A while back, UMi moved offices, which left them with items that no longer fit or worked in their new space – you can probably see where this is going…

While trying to decide what to do with the unneeded items, a colleague of Jean’s told her about an app called A Good Thing. Once Jean discovered what it was all about, she knew it was exactly what they needed.

UMi leads by example – just take a look at their long list of memberships and pledges, along with the certificates they’ve earned. They’re B Corp Certified, part of The Good Work Pledge, they have a charity fund, solar panels on their roof, EV charging stations, and a nature-filled green office that the staff actually enjoy working in. So, according to Jean, A Good Thing is a great fit for UMi, aligning with their values perfectly.

To test out the app, UMi listed two projectors they no longer needed in their new office. Jean was blown away by the number of responses she received – the app just worked.

Not sure how to decide who should receive the donation, Jean made the process simple by choosing the first local charity that responded. They happened to be a wonderful local mental health charity, Tyneside and Northumberland Mind.

Support for Tyneside and Northumberland’s local mental health charity

Founded in 1981, Tyneside and Northumberland Mind has over 40 years of experience delivering mental health services across the region. Their goal is to promote positive mental health through flexible, responsive, and sustainable support.

In their request, they explained that the projectors UMi offered would help with their training programme and mental health awareness campaigns, sharing wellbeing and self-care information with supporters, local businesses, community groups, and organisations.

Jean agreed this was a brilliant use for the projectors, so she accepted the request, and the UMi team even went a step further and arranged delivery to the charity.

An ethical business helping a local charity in its efforts to support the community – another perfect match made through A Good Thing’s platform.

If your business or charity is ready to try A Good Thing for free, start making connections that make a difference here.