Maria Thornberg
31 Mar 2022
Q1 2022 - What happened next
Working with the caretaker from a local arcade, we saved our first heavy load from going to landfill. About 20 fantastic garden urns, several 2 meter planters* and about one van load of random things. It was crazy to see just how much is wasted and amazing to be able to do something about it.
Planning our first jumble sale we teamed up with Oxfam on Magdalen Street. The deal was simple: we were to take what they could not sell and pay them a cut of the sales. It was a win - win - win situation as they got funds, we made enough to pay our outgoing bills and of course things were not thrown away. The jumble sale was a success and we started to plan the next one the very next Monday after the event. It was lovely to see how well received it was and of course how much was saved from going to waste!
In the first quarter we ended up making £123.50 to local charites, saved three quarters of a tonne from landfills and sent out 61 parcels with orders from our online stores. The sales made enough to pay for office rent, phone and internet already. Being self funded not even 6 months from registration! Not bad for 5 staff volunteering their time, while working other jobs, if we may say so ourselves.
We were now clearly running out of space and started talks with the building manager at Sackville Place to find an upgrade. A double office was available and we took the leap and signed for it. We started to move in at mid March, saying goodbye to the most glorious office carpet of all time (see picture...)
* The planters would stay with us for over a year before finding their new home with a young boy in Costessey. This 7 year old super entrepreneur made the news when he started selling walnuts to make pocket money. The planters will now help him expand his empire to strawberries too :) Read more about him here