A warm welcome: one charity’s request for a desk is matched by a very local business

In this blog we cover the success story of the TCM Group responding to Voluntary Action Islington’s request for a desk: it turns out the two organisations are a lot closer than expected…

Making it easy to request items

At A Good Thing we try to make it as simple as possible for businesses and charities to give and receive the items they need. Our new ‘charity needs’ feature enables charities to request specific items: organisations can let local businesses know what they’re actually in need of, as well as waiting to see what gets offered by businesses nearby. So far, we’ve seen businesses meet charity requests ranging from tote bags to the refreshments provided to musicians at a festival!

Smart savings

One success story to come out of the ‘charity needs’ feature started with a request made by Voluntary Action Islington (VAI). Voluntary Action Islington runs an affordable co-working space for over 15 Islington-based charities, with even more using its meeting rooms. It’s a collaborative hub where organisations doing meaningful, impactful work can come together to support marginalised residents across the borough. VAI signed up to A Good Thing in June 2025, and created a ‘charity need’ for a desk soon after.

Kelly Carter, Business Development Manager at VAI, explained how the request came about:

“Last year, we asked our members how we could improve the space, and we’ve been steadily putting their ideas into action: more meeting space, better facilities – all on a shoestring budget. Some of the suggestions included making our reception area clearer and more defined, and replacing our overly wide desks.”

Help from around the corner 

The charity’s request was picked up by the TCM Group, an award-winning people, culture and leadership consultancy. Not only did the TCM Group donate a reception desk, but it was also able to donate six white office desks. Amazingly, the TCM Group’s offices are located just around the corner from Voluntary Action Islington, which Kelly said made “everything even more convenient”.

On the impact of the donation, Kelly said:

“[We] are delighted to have received a reception desk and six white office desks, generously provided by the TCM Group, based just around the corner from us. They’re perfect, and we estimate that they’ve saved us around £2,000 in funds. We’re extremely grateful! A Good Thing, together with Lisajay from the TCM Group, have been fantastic in patiently answering all our questions about measurements and collection logistics.”

The stylish curved reception desk donated by TCM Group in its new home at Voluntary Action Islington

Beyond financial impact

Alongside the financial savings made by the donation, Kelly also highlighted the impact on sustainability:

“The new reception desk has already transformed our front-of-house into a welcoming, functional space, and the six desks will soon be in place. Together, these donations free up valuable resources that we can invest in supporting local community groups – rather than spending on office furniture. Just as importantly, by choosing high-quality, recycled furniture, we’ve made a more sustainable choice for the environment.”

Re-use

At A Good Thing we’re delighted to see this successful match, demonstrating just how straightforward it can be to support the circular economy.

As a final point, Kelly extended “a heartfelt thank you to A Good Thing for making this possible and its excellent service, and to the TCM Group, especially the ever-helpful Lisajay, for your generosity and support.”

The TCM Group said it was “delighted to have been able to help”.

If you work for a charity anywhere in the UK with a similar need, why not sign up to A Good Thing to see what local businesses have to offer?