Finding Treasure: The elephant-size reuse opportunity with Cathy Benwell, A Good Thing

About this episode

Emma Burlow interviews Cathy Benwell about the reuse opportunities connecting businesses with charities through surplus items.

In this practical and inspiring episode of Straight Talking Sustainability , host Emma Burlow sits down with Cathy Benwell , co-founder of A Good Thing, a Community Interest Company (CIC) that has created a matchmaking platform connecting 1,000 UK businesses donating surplus items with 3,500 charities and non-profits desperate for exactly those materials, from construction supplies and hotel bedding to branded merchandise and the occasional life-size inflatable elephant. Starting in February 2020 with just 10 businesses and 15 charities, this volunteer-powered organisation (45 volunteers supporting one part-time paid operations manager) has grown explosively by solving a problem everyone recognises but few have systematically addressed: businesses drowning in perfectly good stuff they no longer need, charities surrounded by wealthy organisations yet struggling to access basic supplies, and the frustrating reality that what people do naturally at home through Freecycle or Facebook Marketplace somehow becomes impossible once they walk into their workplace. Cathy's background spans publishing (graduate training scheme with a book company), government communications as a civil…

People in this episode

Host: Emma Burlow

Guest: Cathy Benwell

Topics covered

• reuse
• charity
• business
• surplus items
• community interest company

Keywords

• reuse
• surplus
• charity
• business
• community interest company
• matchmaking platform
• donation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: A Good Thing, HomeStart

Places: UK

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