Charitable organisations urged to sign up for In Kind Direct support
Melanie May | 29 September 2022 | News
In Kind Direct is encouraging more charitable organisations to register with its network to receive support as the cost-of-living crisis worsens.
In Kind Direct focuses on distributing consumer products, donated by companies, to charitable organisations across the UK to ensure that people have access to the products they need to live with dignity. This includes personal hygiene, cleaning products, clothing, and children’s books and activities.
In the past 25 years, over 1,200 companies have donated products to In Kind Direct. One company supporting In Kind Direct is Tesco. From 21 September, 750 UK Tesco stores are offering a Buy 2 Donate 1 scheme on selected Unilever hygiene products. For every two products purchased, Unilever is donating one hygiene product to In Kind Direct.
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Altogether over the past 25 years, In Kind Direct has distributed over £300mn worth of products, supported 12,200 charitable organisations and diverted nearly 34,000 tonnes of products from waste.
One recipient, Dorothy Parkes Centre said:
“Through our community offer service, in partnership with St Albans Community Association, we have been able to support people who have nothing at all, by creating health and wellbeing emergency packs which include shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrush, deodorant, and sanitary products. People are often able to get food via foodbanks but they can’t get hygiene products from anywhere.”
Registered charities, community groups, foodbanks and schools can all register with it for free.
Paul Buchanan, Interim CEO of In Kind Direct, commented:
“Our charitable network of over 4,500 UK charities tell us that hygiene items like toilet roll and shower gel are always in high demand, to support families who are having to choose between eating and keeping clean. Our Powered By Kind campaign is centred around urging more charitable organisations to sign up to our network to access a wide range of high quality consumer products like personal hygiene items and clothing for example, which can be given to the people they support or used to keep their services running.”
Research conducted in June from In Kind Direct’s charitable network showed:
- 84% had seen demand for their services increase since the beginning of the year
- 35% saw their income from funding decrease
- 57% were worried about the increase of utility and travel costs that keep their services running
- A recent YouGov survey for In Kind Direct reveals over 1 in 3 adults in low-income families have received support from a local organisation this year
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.