Month: December 2025

Pennies Marks 15 Years of Impact, Celebrating £75m in Micro-Donations and 2025 Award Winners

Stuart Mitchell

Pennies, the UK’s leading micro-donation charity, this week marked its 15th anniversary with its annual Autumn Celebration Event in London, recognising the individuals and partners driving progress across the micro-donation movement.  Held in central London and attended by over 150 leaders from retail, hospitality, payments and technology, the event celebrated Pennies’ growing community of partners – and highlighted its collective social impact to date: over 300 million micro-donations raised, delivering more than £75 million for over 1,100 UK charities.  2025 Pennies Award Winners: The 6th annual Pennies Awards honoured both…

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A step forward for nature reporting

Stuart Mitchell

Given the prevalence of nature and biodiversity themes highlighted during COP30 in Brazil, GRI supports the recent announcement by the IFRS Foundation that the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) will develop incremental disclosure requirements on nature-related risks and opportunities. These ISSB nature-related standard setting efforts will draw from the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD). Over the past three years, GRI and the TNFD have worked closely together to support the development of each other’s activities, including TNFD recommendations, metrics and guidance, and the revised GRI 101…

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smol launches recycled aluminium refill bottles; expanding its design-led range without compromising on performance

Stuart Mitchell

Cleaning brand, smol, has launched its new range of refillable aluminium bottles, made from 100% recycled aluminium. The sleek, infinitely recyclable designs are available for selected ranges, including Foaming Handwash, Multi Purpose Spray, Stain Gel, Fabric Conditioner, Foaming Bathroom Spray and Washing Up Liquid.  The launch builds on smol’s track record of packaging innovation, from pioneering plastic-free laundry packs to introducing concentrated refill formats. In a sector still dominated by single-use plastic, smol’s new aluminium bottles-for-life are designed to look beautiful on the counter, not hidden under the sink. The…

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Researchers find microplastics in 100 per cent of donkey faecal samples tested

Stuart Mitchell

A study by the University of Portsmouth has revealed for the first time the extent of the devastating impact of plastic pollution on livestock, humans and the wider environment on the Kenyan island of Lamu.   The study was carried out by members of the Revolution Plastics Institute at The University of Portsmouth, in collaboration with The Donkey Sanctuary, The Flop Flopi Project and the Kenyan Marine and Fisheries Research Institute.   Until now the impact of plastic waste on terrestrial working animals has been largely overlooked with most of the…

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300% Surge in Demand for Neurodiversity Support Signals a System Under Strain and a Need for Urgent Change

Stuart Mitchell

As Mindroom marks 25 years of championing neurodivergent children, young people, and adults in the workplace, new data exposes a sharp rise in need across the UK, and a system struggling to cope. Over the past five years, demand for Mindroom’s support has soared by nearly 300%, with families waiting years for assessments, children missing school due to unmet needs, and parents describing a system “at breaking point.”  The charity’s latest Impact Report also shows a 62% rise in families seeking mental health support, a 240% increase in training for…

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