From office surplus to community support: another charity need success

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

Donor: Avvio Reply
Location: Berkshire
What was donated:
Crockery
Mugs
Glasses
Kitchen utensils
Stationery
Post-it notes
Boxes
Clocks
Sector: Consultancy
Charity that benefitted: Giving Hope Furniture Project

Seamless process

A central part of A Good Thing is to try and make it as seamless as possible for businesses and charities to connect – for charities to receive the items they truly need, making the giving process even more impactful. Our ‘charity need’ feature allows charities to request specific items, alongside waiting for offers from local businesses.

Avvio Reply: a repeat donor

We applaud organisations that don’t just give once, but continue to look for ways to support their communities, and Avvio Reply is a star example. Employee engagement agency Avvio Reply joined A Good Thing in March 2024, keen to make better use of surplus items from its office.

As a digital consultancy specialising in customer engagement, the Avvio Reply team is passionate about creating meaningful connections. The firm’s ESG (environmental, social and governance) strategy aligns with ours at A Good Thing - reducing waste, reusing surplus resources responsibly, and actively supporting local communities through meaningful partnerships.

The company’s first donation included chairs, desks and whiteboards from its office. Rather than these items going to waste, they were re-homed and put to great use creating functional, welcoming spaces with local charities. But this initial donation was only the beginning.

Furniture with a meaning: the Giving Hope Furniture Project

In October 2025, Avvio Reply spotted a charity need posted by the Giving Hope Furniture Project charity, and was quick to respond. The Giving Hope Furniture Project, located in Slough, is a wonderful charity that supports individuals and families who are setting up home after experiencing homelessness, domestic abuse or financial hardship. The organisation provides essential furniture and household items, helping people turn empty properties into safe, comfortable homes.

This time, the charity was looking for a wide range of everyday essentials – items many of us take for granted, but which make a huge difference when starting from scratch.

Avvio Reply was able to donate a variety of items from its office and storage spaces, including crockery, mugs, glasses, kitchen utensils, stationery, post-it notes, boxes and clocks. Each item found a purposeful new home. These were “very useful” according to Heike West, administrator for the Giving Hope Furniture Project. 

Taking nothing for granted

For Giving Hope Furniture, the kitchen items were particularly valuable. They will now be used in the charity’s kitchen ‘starter boxes’, which are given to people moving into their own accommodation for the first time.

These boxes can help people get started straightaway, meaning they can cook a meal and begin to feel settled in their new home. And it’s these small, practical things that help people regain a sense of normality and independence after difficult experiences.

Supporting local schools

The impact of the donation didn’t stop there. Most of the stationery was passed on by Giving Hope Furniture to a local school and PTA (parent/teacher association), where it was met with real excitement. The school “were absolutely over the moon”, Heike shared. “It was sorted straight into their stationery cupboard” and will be used by pupils and teachers every day.

This ripple effect shows how one donation can benefit multiple parts of the community, from families setting up homes to children learning in the classroom.

Leveraging corporate responsibility for social good

For the Giving Hope Furniture Project, partnerships like this one are essential. Donations allow it to continue its work sustainably, supporting more people with dignity and care. And for Avvio Reply, it’s about making sure useful items don’t go to waste, instead to create real social value.