The Product Giving Alliance was founded in May 2020 to unlock the maximum social good from donated products, services and surplus by distributing these items in an efficient way to people in communities around the UKand overseas.
One year on, the Product Giving Alliance has supported over 16,700 charities and communities throughout the UK and overseas, supporting people, many made vulnerable by the pandemic, to the value of almost £68m.
- In Kind Direct has distributed 8m hygiene products, including handwashes and toilet roll and continues to support nearly 250,000 people every week with lifes essentials
- Charity Digital has helped save £13m on discounted tech software including Zoom and Microsoft
- FareShare has provided 131.9m meals to vulnerable people and has donated 5.2 tonnes of food
- International Health Partners has provided 9.1m medical treatments, supporting around 3m people including the support of Covid–19 patients in low and middle–income countries
The Product Giving Alliance came about at a crucial moment in time, where the pandemic forced cuts to thousands of community services leaving many people vulnerable and without access to essential items. In Kind Direct’s network of charitable organisations saw an 80% increase and continued demand for their services since the beginning of 2020. As restrictions in the UK ease, it’s evident that many communities are still reliant on donations, and the long–term implications for countries outside the UK in which the Alliance works, are still unknown. To meet this growing need, the Alliance is calling on businesses around the country to make donating products and services a key part of their sustainability development and business strategies. Rosanne Gray, In Kind Direct CEO; Jonathan Chevalier, Charity Digital CEO; Lindsay Boswell, FareShare CEO; Adele Paterson, International Health Partners CEO comments:
For those families, and individuals that have struggled to access food, toiletries, medicine or technology during lockdown, the continued work of the thousands of charitable organisations the Product Giving Alliance supports is vital. We make donating the easy option for companies, as well as giving them the confidence that their products achieve real impact. We encourage more businesses to see what is possible and step up however they can. The Alliance proves that coming together really can make an enormous difference. Using the combined expertise from food, healthcare and technology charities means we can reach an enormous amount of people who need these products .We want to keep up this momentum, and encourage any businesses in these areas to come forward with products or services to donate. ”Sunny Sid 3up Charity, Glasgow comments:“ On a daily basis,the products made available to us help struggling families that we support. From personal hygiene products to essential household items; without thissupport we would be helping 70% less families”.
For more information on how to donate hygiene products, food, technology or medical supplies, visit: www.inkinddirect.org/product–giving–alliance/