Carpet tiles pave the way to long-lasting community relationships in Buckinghamshire

A Good Thing was recently invited to attend one of Net Zero Milton Keynes’ hugely popular ‘Power Hours’. The online event saw businesses from across Bucks gather and all were eager to learn exciting new ways to deal with waste. Forward-thinking, longstanding local business Ercol Furniture Limited was in attendance: it immediately took up our challenge to decrease the number of items it sent to landfill by listing no-longer-needed carpet tiles for offer on our app. The offer was such a huge success, Ercol went on to list further items and was able to reach a number of local charities.

Learning together

The Net Zero Milton Keynes programme, which is fully funded by Milton Keynes City Council, and delivered by Ngage Solutions, has been working hard to support businesses on their journeys to become net zero. With ever-rising costs, the team (led by Daniel Cope) has been researching and promoting ways for local businesses to save money, become more energy- and resource-efficient, and increase resilience against the effects of climate change. Daniel commented:

‘Businesses face excruciating waste disposal costs, which will only increase as regulation becomes tighter. That’s why the Net Zero Milton Keynes programme hosted an event looking at the practical ways in which businesses can clean up their waste, and hopefully save some money in the process!’

And there’s no point in going it alone: the team at Net Zero Milton Keynes recognises that business and environmental sustainability can only be achieved by working together:

‘Collaboration is paramount in business, and even more so when it comes to the environment. That’s only highlighted by the success of introducing the team at A Good Thing to forward-thinking businesses like Ercol.’

Feeling inspired

Delegate James Eddy, Health, Safety, Environment and Quality (HSEQ) Manager at Ercol Furniture Limited, attended the Power Hour and left feeling inspired. With the knowledge that a large pile of Ercol’s carpet tiles was about to head to the skip, he quickly sprang into action, photographing and listing them on the A Good Thing app. The carpet tiles proved to be in demand, with two requests from local charities coming in within an hour. James was thrilled:

‘It’s amazing! I love this concept. Such a great site.’ 

Just the thing we need

Self-confessed charity fiend Nigel Brand, who is chair of the management committee at the White Hill Centre in Chesham, Bucks, was delighted when the carpet tile offer popped up in his inbox. He explained:

‘Our wonderful Victorian building began life as White Hill School in 1890, and has been a community centre since 1976. It’s a huge building which serves thousands of people in the local community, but its size makes it tricky to manage and there are no specific grants available for items such as new carpets. The carpet tiles are exactly what we need to replace the flooring, they’re much more robust than a regular carpet and will be used to cover the main hall and stage areas.’

The White Hill Centre is truly the heart of the local community in Chesham: it provides facilities for recreation, leisure and education, and is home to fitness and educational classes, alongside social clubs for all ages. Over 1,000 local people use the centre each week for recreation, to learn new skills or to meet like-minded people; for some, it is their only source of social contact.

Sharing is caring

Not long after the carpet tiles were snapped up, James listed a second offer — 18 miscellaneous chairs. Nigel knew straight away that these were just the thing that local school Heritage House was in need of. The school specialises in education for neurodiverse learners with severe, profound and complex disabilities, and it offers a range of vocational programmes alongside its education offer. Nigel explained:

‘The school has recently launched a new venture called The Potting Shed Cafe, and it’s proven to be hugely popular. It’s run by staff and students, who get involved in the baking of items and front-of-house activities. Demand has been so great that they are looking to expand the site and its opening times. A launch event is being planned, with the local Mayor coming along to cut the ribbon. I knew these chairs would be the perfect addition.’

Nigel was not deterred by the huge task of collecting three hundred carpet tiles and 18 chairs! He called up a local friend who had a horse transporter, and made his way to Ercol to collect the items. Upon arrival he was greeted by the team:

‘It was great fun turning up at the businesses in a horse transporter, and what an amazing welcome from the staff at Ercol. Every single person I met was really lovely and very friendly. What an excellent local company.’

The relationship won’t be ending there: Ercol has invited volunteers from the White Hill Centre and learners from Heritage House School back to the business for factory tours, once their renovations are complete. 

Brilliant concept

James was thrilled that his items were snapped up and are already making a difference to charities in the local community, and recommended that all businesses give it a go:

‘A Good Thing is an absolutely incredible resource. Not only can you list items in a matter of seconds, but it also helps local charities and keeps items from landfill. The site is exceptionally intuitive, and the team are friendly and responsive to any questions you might have. All brands should be using this site to help meet their CSR goals, but also just to do the right thing! A brilliant concept, perfectly executed.’

Nigel has been thrilled by the whole experience:

‘A Good Thing is an amazing platform and so simple to use. Making it easy to reuse and repurpose items is the way to go, not only because of the cost-of-living crisis, but also to help save the planet. James and the team at Ercol are wonderful people and we look forward to returning soon.’

Thank you to Daniel and the team at Net Zero Milton Keynes for inviting A Good Thing to attend the Power Hour, and thank you to James at the team at Ercol Furniture Limited for using the A Good Thing app to send less to landfill and more to a good cause. It’s clear the simple act of sharing something that’s no longer needed can have a profound and long-lasting impact within a local community. 

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

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