What’s the background to A Good Thing?

My husband Richard and I co-founded A Good Thing [1] in 2020, after years of discussing the idea. Before this, life had been busy - we had set up a software start-up and were raising three young children. So, when lockdown happened - and suddenly we had a bit of time available in the evenings and weekends - it was a real “now or never” moment!

In March 2020 Richard began spending his evenings developing the online platform and building the website. I threw myself into using Zoom to create connections in the Thames Valley, where we were living, with nearby charities, local authorities, businesses and community foundations.

By February 2021 we’d registered with Companies House, had a live website and launched the pilot. The response was brilliant! Charities loved the idea, and scrambled to sign up, and businesses were desperate to support their local communities, many of which were suffering the devastating effects of the multiple Covid-19 lockdowns.

How does it work?

A Good Thing is an online platform that matches charities with local businesses that have things to give away. A business lists an item and a charity responds with a request. Contact details are exchanged, and the charity arranges to collect from the business. We’re helping charities to obtain things they need, while providing businesses with a sustainable and ethical means of disposing of unwanted goods. We’re rehoming items that would often have ended up in landfill, and building strong links within communities – all via a simple-to-use app.

Has A Good Thing become a charity?

A Good Thing was set up as a CIC (Community Interest Company), which is a special type of limited company introduced by the UK government in 2005 which exists to benefit the community – rather than private shareholders. We always knew we didn’t want A Good Thing to be a profit-making organisation. Our sustainable model brings in revenue from businesses that donate via A Good Thing: being a not-for-profit, this revenue is then fed directly into our platform, improving the service further.

How proud do you feel having turned an idea into a reality that is helping so many good causes?

I feel incredibly proud. Both Richard and I came to this from pretty different backgrounds – neither of us had run a CIC before – so it has been very exciting to bring our idea to life and to watch it grow. But the best part is meeting new and truly remarkable people. I’ve discovered that this sector is full of the loveliest and most dedicated individuals – I’m not sure I’d ever be able to go back to working for a profit-making company again!

The matches also make it all worthwhile – and one that sticks with me in particular is Allison. In January 2021, she was running an online organic babywear boutique but got in touch with us after making the tough decision to close her business due to ill health. And with the added challenge of home-schooling her children, she didn’t have the time or energy to spend hours searching for where to donate her surplus stock of hundreds of organic, cotton baby blankets. She was thrilled to discover A Good Thing, and we were delighted when she was matched with  the Baby Bank, a charity supporting vulnerable young parents in Berkshire. For many families, receiving one of the handmade blankets not only kept their baby warm, but it brought joy and provided them with the sense someone had thought about them – at a particularly difficult time.