If this name means nothing to you...READ ON!

In Kind Direct is a charity which redistributes surplus goods from manufacturers and retailers to UK charities working at home and abroad.

This means charities can benefit by buying goods at greatly reduced prices, which has got to be music to everyones ears during these financially testing times.

There are a wide range of products available; toys, if you are a charity that works with children, work and office items which we all need, sports equipment, household goods and much more. Delivery is usually within 10 days and the customer service is very good.

It's FREE to register, but be sure to read the terms and conditions. Have a look yourself and let me know whether it has helped your organisation. It certainly works for us.

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It's always sad to see empty buildings and office blocks with rental signs up for months and months.

Well someone has had a great idea. While landlords and owners wait to fill these spaces, why not let the voluntary sector make use of them? They call it "meanwhile use"

That is inspiring. I suppose it cuts both ways; the owners do not have to worry about their empty buildings being broken into and trashed and they give something to their communities. And the voluntary sector has affordable space in cash strapped times.

So there has got to be a catch. Well the obvious one is the time you can stay is a bit unpredictable, but sometimes that doesn't matter. And then there is the cost of moving (which will depend on how big the organisation is.) But it also works for organisations wanting to use some space for one-off events.

I think the idea behind this is super, and each organisation will have to decide whether this suits their needs.

It's just a shame that Telford is not on their list yet - and we have so many empty buildings....

If you are interested, have a look at 3Space.