Stylish surplus jackets and jumpers find new homes through A Good Thing!

Jermyn Street Design recently donated over 1,700 items of brand-new, high-quality clothing through A Good Thing, an inspiring contribution that’s gone on to make a real impact across a number of UK charities.

Jermyn Street Design, based in London, is known for its commitment to high-end, sustainable uniform design. Keen to avoid waste from surplus stock following a Jet2 project, the team turned to A Good Thing to ensure the clothing could be put to good use.

The donation included:

• 410 men's Jet2-branded navy tailored jackets

• 665 women's Jet2-branded navy tailored jackets

• 250 men's short-sleeve navy polo shirts

• 30 men's black jumpers

• 87 unisex navy jumpers

• 21 men's zipped charcoal jumpers

• 300 black mesh washbags

Elizabeth Aderinola, who works in operations at Jermyn Street Design, coordinated the donation. She said:

“We were really pleased to find a solution that meant this stock didn’t go to waste. A Good Thing made the process incredibly straightforward. It’s great to know the clothes have gone on to support people and communities who can make real use of them.”

A match made for impact

Thanks to A Good Thing, Jermyn Street Design's donation was quickly matched with several charities across the country.

The men's jackets were sent to Birmingham Settlement, where they are being sold through the charity’s three shops to help fund its core work. When placing her request, Theresa Gniadkowski from the charity said:

“We would sell these in our three Birmingham Settlement charity shops to raise money to fund our core activities – and to build wellbeing, improve financial resilience, develop people’s skills, confidence and voice, build environmental awareness and create a sustainable organisation for individuals and communities.”

The women's jackets found new life through YMCA England & Wales, where they are being sold in the organisation’s network of charity shops, helping to raise vital funds for its wide-ranging support services.

Helping those on the frontline of homelessness

The donation of 250 polo shirts went to One Big Family, Helping the Homeless, a charity operating in Chatham, Kent. Jayne Pardesi from the charity shared:

“This was my first time using the platform and I found it very easy to use. Once I had requested the polo shirts, the lady who dealt with my request was very friendly and helpful. 40 of the polo shirts were printed with our logo and used by our team of fundraisers who walked from London to Chatham overnight in October last year. The rest of the shirts have been given out to homeless people who visited our soup kitchen or stayed with us at the night shelter during the three months we were open this year. We would definitely use the platform again if there was something our charity could put to use.”

A wide-reaching impact

Other items from the donation were matched with a range of charities supporting people experiencing hardship across the UK:

• We Restart received 30 men's black jumpers to support asylum seekers.
• Waste Not Want Not Battersea received 87 navy jumpers for use in their food and clothing distribution programme.
• Crisis UK received 21 zipped charcoal jumpers to give directly to individuals experiencing homelessness.
• The 300 black mesh washbags were split between The Young Lives Foundation and Y Services for Young People.

Ruth Harris from The Young Lives Foundation said:

“We are the Young Lives Foundation, a children's charity who support and mentor young people. Our services include befriending, advocacy and mentoring. I was interested in these washbags, as we offer packs to 'care-leavers' who are setting up home independently. These were extremely useful as our young people often have few belongings or luggage/bags with which to move. We assist our young people in living fulfilled, independent lives and we encourage them to thrive. Our care-leaver packs are a great way for our young people to have a positive start.”

A straightforward, meaningful match

This donation from Jermyn Street Design is a clear example of how surplus items can be redirected in a simple and effective way. Through A Good Thing, the clothing has been put to practical use by a wide range of charities, each working in their own way to support people and communities.

By finding new homes for these items, the donation has helped reduce waste and offered something useful to organisations that need it. If you would like to get involved, then sign up today!