50 Acts of Kindness: Our 2020 Pay It Forward Campaign

Spurred on by our recent contribution to the Gainsborough Food Bank, we want to continue our support for local individuals and community groups in need in 2020. It is a great way for the team to take a proactive stance and make a difference. 

We’ve therefore committed to embarking on a 12-month pay it forward-style campaign, consisting of 50 small acts of kindness that will have a big impact on our community. 'Pay It Forward' was a concept given greater momentum in 2000 when a film named after it was released in cinemas. The idea is that if everyone shows a single act of kindness or goes out of their way to assist someone in need, they might then do the same and go on to help others themselves. If everyone did that the ripple effect would be far-reaching. A single act of kindness suddenly becomes thousands of acts of kindness nationwide.

Our mission and New Years Resolution is to action '50 Acts of Kindness' by the close of 2020. 

What Are Our Plans?

The ambition here is just to do what we can in our small corner of the world. We’re going to upcycle our slightly damaged stock, which we are unable to sell, and donate it – along with our surplus stock – to those in need. This could include blankets for the homeless, wildlife packs for schools, indoor watering cans and storage for care homes, bee, hedgehog and birdhouses for wildlife parks, home items for rescue groups, fundraising gifts for local charities, dog beds and bowls for animal rescue centres, and tools for allotments. These are a few of the ideas we are already pursuing. 

We’re keen to help as many people as possible in any way that we can, as championing good causes is important to us as a business, and each member of the team is being encouraged to put forward suggestions. There are always people in need and it doesn't just have to be down to donations of money. It would be great if we can inspire people to 'pay forward' our small acts of kindness so we can keep the momentum going - who knows what is possible! 

We’re also hoping to send out new products where possible, thanks to support from our loyal suppliers. Many of our suppliers are seeking more sustainable materials and championing their own causes. Where we can we will tie into those and cement our relationships with the right companies to keep our supply chain as ethical and responsible as it can be. We have big goals in 2020 around environmental packaging and new product sourcing. The higher we reach with our goals the more we are likely to achieve. 

Who Will Be Involved?

As well as reaching out to new local groups and societies we want to continue our existing relationship with Gainsborough Food Bank whose efforts have been essential for those less fortunate in the Gainsborough area. 

As part of our involvement with the Lynx Business networking group, we’ll be exploring ways in which we can team up with other businesses on this exciting and rewarding initiative. The other crucial element will be the Muldale team. They have demonstrated more than once how driven they can be when helping others and with their support, this initiative will go a long way. 

Watch this space for updates on who benefits from this campaign throughout 2020. It will be our pleasure to keep everyone updated and also give you ways to get involved where possible.