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Always putting people first – every time

Community

Community Redistribution A Freeshop is an organised large scale redistribution of surplus / unwanted items to go back into the community.  It is a community resource.  Both from bringing volunteers together to providing a focal hub where people who are struggling can visit.
Collaborating with others
We partner with several other local organisations and where ever possible if another organisation has a speciality by partnering with them we can provide a service without re-inventing the wheel. Our Freeshop has a large footfall of people in need so if we can assist other organisations with how and where to connect with our service users its a win win for everyone.
Caring for one another A community Freeshop isn’t just a place to share items no longer needed to cut the waste , it provides a life line for those in need. Often we find that service users tell us it gave them hope that there was an organisation full of volunteers working everyday of the week to make sure that food ,clothing, electrical items , toys games and advice / signposting was available.

Community Champions
Through the use of social media our Freeshop has spread the message far and wide that you can benefit from helping others. When we advertised our Freeshop Training Academy asking for people from the community who want to learn how to set up and run successful and sustainable Freeshops (following our blueprints). Community Champions are inspired by our founder Maya Amangeldiyeva and want to build their own Freeshop in their town

Crisis Response
A Freeshop often has a surplus of donated items , when a crisis occurs (such as a house fire , flood or a family escaping domestic abuse). We can provide a family with an entire van full of everything that they need to start again. We have even been involved in much larger crisis response ,Click here to view our Turkey / Syria Earthquake Campaign

Community

Compassionate Action There are some people in our community who have experienced terrible trauma in their lives. They find it hard to trust again and have anxiety when going to crowded spaces. Our volunteers are trained to look out for people who are struggling. Sometimes it just needs a kind work , an offer of support or a hug to bring someone back to feeling included in society.
Collective Strength It can be a very complicated world that we live in. Together we are stronger, even with 150 volunteers we cannot do everything and be everywhere. Quite often service users will come together to help deliver food parcels or collect items to donate from disabled or housebound neighbours. It is quite magical to see the community truly supporting itself through the Freeshop.
Combating Poverty Our 2025 Impact study showed that the perceived value of items taken from our Freeshop over a twelve month period was £2.1 Million. During our Impact study we asked service users as they were leaving what the perceived value was of the items that they had found that day and then extrapolated this figure over 12 months. By saving people from having to spend on items such as surplus clothing , food , toys and games etc families can spend their money on things like heating their homes , fuel to drive their families around or having savings for when a large appliance breaks down. Even saving up for a holiday. Freeshops are a front line resource to fight back against poverty
Crafting Hope More than just the financial implications or the environmental savings of a freeshop is the emotional ripple effect. For those who have experienced trauma or isolation knowing that there is a safe place to go where they can go with no judgement. The feeling of being supported can spread. People who have been helped are then more likely to go on to help someone and so the chain goes on.