Building kindness: Mulalley powers two London refurbishments

A Good Thing is an online platform that allows businesses to give things away to their local charities. Less to landfill, more to a good cause! The case study below is an example of the wonderful impact that can be made through these matches.

Donor: Mulalley
Location: London, Essex
What was donated:
100+ boxes of dry-lining fixings
half a pallet of plasterboard
around 20 sheets of additional plasterboard
15 insulation boards
a quarter of a pallet of quarry tiles
half a pallet of tape-and-joint filler bags
10 rolls of acoustic insulation
4 rolls of fire-rated insulation
dry-lining studs and assorted metals
tonne bags of shingle stones
wall tiles
Sector: construction
Charity that benefitted:
The Abbey Community Association
United Action Charity Trust

Essex-based construction firm Mulalley has donated a major haul of building materials – from insulation rolls to quarry tiles – to two London charities. These are The Abbey Community Association in central and the United Action Charity Trust in west London. These materials are now powering vital refurbishments in community spaces relied on by thousands.

Community-building in action

When Mulalley first joined A Good Thing, it quickly revealed itself to be the kind of donor every charity dreams of. Not only does it operate across London and the south east, but it also regularly finds itself with high-quality surplus construction materials.

Since joining us, the firm has donated an impressive range of items: doors, insulation, bricks, timber, light fittings, paint, hundreds of chairs and waste bins. And in this latest donation, the firm really outdid itself.

Mulalley’s recent contribution included dry-lining fixings and studs, acoustic insulation, fire-rated insulation, plasterboard, insulation boards, quarry tiles, filler bags, wall tiles and shingle stones. It was a donation that would make any builder beam with joy – especially when it’s going somewhere meaningful.

Two charities, two transformations

The first match was with the central London-based The Abbey Community Association, a vibrant community hub a stone’s throw from Westminster. It supports residents with everything from wellbeing classes to food projects. Its facilities see constant use, so wear and tear is inevitable, and refurbishment budgets are tight.

When the team spotted Mullaley’s donation on the platform, it didn’t hesitate, and said:

“We’d be happy to take the whole lot from you. We’re about to start a complete refurbishment of our basement toilets and facilities, so this would help considerably.”

Thanks to Mulalley, the charity’s major facilities upgrade can now happen without compromising funding for the programmes the community relies on.

Over in west london, the United Action Charity Trust was also quick to be matched with the donated materials. Based in Hammersmith, the charity supports refugees and vulnerable families, helping people rebuild their lives in a welcoming, stable environment. It told A Good Thing:

“We would like to request these items for the refurbishment of our community hub for refugees in Hammersmith.”

For a charity focused on delivering frontline support, the ability to renovate its hub without draining precious funds is nothing short of transformative. Mullaley’s plasterboard, insulation and other materials are now helping create a safer, warmer and more dignified space for those who need it most.

Why does it matter?

Because this is what community-building looks like in practice! Diverting construction leftovers from the skip doesn’t just save carbon, but it strengthens the places where Londoners gather, learn, laugh and support one another. Mullaley’s commitment to passing on useful materials demonstrates a powerful, practical kind of sustainability: one that delivers environmental benefits and direct social impact.

And, for the charities involved, it’s more than a donation. It’s the difference between “we’d like to renovate someday” and “we can start next week!”

Mullaley may be an Essex construction firm, but thanks to its generosity, its impact is being built into the very walls and floors of London’s vibrant community life.