Freegle Stories

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  • A Thankyou Letter to Freegle

    Thankyou for the people that helped me furnish a new home in a new area beautifully, when I had spent all funds on the bricks and mortar, to include almost new sofas, and desirables for my children settling in. Thankyou to the people that helped empty that same house through receiving, when I had lost my partner and both parents within one year. Thankyou to the poeple that received, so that my children did not see that my house was being repossessed some time later and I was unable to afford a van for removal. Thankyou to the people who gave to help furnish a new home that was also to be our adventure. Thankyou to the man who gave me great joy in receiving from me a sofa I had rescued from being crushed in a skip to offer to Freegle – leather and in perfect condition. Thankyou to him, for showing benefit from my efforts and sheer determination. Thankyou for the dining chairs and table that however luxurious your fiance hated: I used them at home and later in an art gallery for interest and display. Thankyou for the simple things that kept us anew. Thankyou for smiling,taking and giving me great pleasures in seeing your faces. Thankyou for enjoying high tech expensive silver kitchen stuff when I prefer white, thankyou for offering a new bed when the old was too filled with memories. Thankyou lady for being fast and strong and taking apart that bed with glee for your daughter, and great to look at and dream on without the history. Thankyou for the plant pots that helped seeds and me grow. Thankyou for keeping my house tidy and clutter free. Thankyou for having a big family so that I can enjoy children’s clothes in great condition, I have paid large sums of money for being passed on to a great home. Thankyou for turning up. Thankyou for being in when I called. Thankyou for showing me your beautiful communal garden made by Freegle for your neighbours. Thankyou for reminding me of the generosity of human spirit. Thankyou for wanting to learn, taking some books and letting me help you. Thankyou for all the cat things when our greatest pleasure adopted us. Thankyou for advice on pet care. Thankyou for helping me teach my kids about all the generosity and courage out there that costs nothing but our time to think. Thankyou for taking my old and giving me your new, and making my memories your beginning. Thankyou for stories from your children adjusting to new life with my children’s things helping them along the way. Thankyou for a lovely computer table, thankyou for beds for sleepovers, thankyou two students for making me laugh that you are young and will walk home with the two seater in fabulous condition you need from me. Thankyou that your mother is more comfortable now, and you have raised money for your disabled son’s school.

    Just Another Freegler, Stirling City Freegle

  • Gem's table and bench after painting

    I have had lots of things gifted to me over the last couple of years, all of which I am really grateful for. I thought I would share a makeover story.

    I have been doing up my garden, in a bid to love it more and utilise it more. I had put a wanted post on Freegle for some garden furniture. Everyone who is on Freegle will know what I mean, when I say that, when anyone replies to one of your posts it is last thing you would expect and you are very appreciative for them reading the post let alone replying. It is sometimes overwhelming how kind people are. A lovely couple offered me a bench and table and a water butt. They also dropped it off at my house, because my car was just not big enough.

    They admitted the table was now a bit unloved and they had bought a new set. Well it didn’t matter and I had in mind what I would do.

    I sanded them and painted them. They are not to every ones taste but I love them and I haven’t seen anything like them in any shops. I hope people can realise that what junk they may be throwing away is like the saying, someone else’s treasure.

    Gem , Warrington Freegle

  • I always try to post a thank you message to folks straight after picking up, but I confess that sometimes I’m disorganised. The trouble is, once you realise how much fun, or use you’re having, a few months later, it’d feel odd to get in contact again so late, and I’ve often lost the e-mail address, so I thought I’d use the cafe to say a few thank you’s. The right people may not read them, but maybe they’ll give you all a warm feeling for things you’ve given away.

    So, thank you to the lady from Caversham who has provided my daughter with hours of fun, by just asking did I want some bath toys when I went to pick up some Megablocks (also good fun, BTW!) The Winnie the Pooh bath toys are in daily use, and helped us realise how much our little one’s speech was improving, as she asks for Tigger or Piglet each time! Thanks to the same lady for two stools designed for toilet training, but that are getting good use at my daughter’s (charity shop) easel.

    Thank you to a lady from West Reading for the small trampoline – it’s well loved – although little one currently dances on it, as she hasn’t yet mastered jumping!

    Thank you too to the little girl from Shinfield who passed on her fab pink trike to plenty of enjoyment (and only once to dozing off on it!)

    Thank you to someone in Shinfield for the piano many years ago! Rescued from her garage, our neighbours kindly helped the collection, and it looks fabulous. it’s been a source of entertainment for two of us for a long time, and now our daughter is experimenting!

    Thank you to the lady who was in Woodley, but was moving, for the highchair. That’s had a lot of use – usually several times a day.

    Thank you to yesterday’s pick-up of books for my little girl – each parent has already read them to her several times already!

    Thank you to the gentleman who responded to my “wanted” for a hairdryer – it doesn’t get used that often, but everytime it is, I am always so grateful!

    Thank you to someone from near town centre for the footspa – it was good to try, but we eventually re-freegled as we felt someone else might make better use of it.

    Thank you to the lady who lived near where my sister used to, for the fabulous lilac hat & brooch – I’ve worn them to two weddings already, and I’m sure those wont be the last.

    Thank you to the lady in Woodley who supplied a pushchair parasol, which helped reduce my maternal worries no end.

    Thank you to someone for the re-bounder / trampette / exercise trampoline. It did get good use, though not so much lately, so that might form part of the clear out I’m itching to do, in that magical time of “when things are a bit less busy.” One of the things that is fab about freegle is that you can give things a try, and if it doesn’t work out, or your life changes a bit, re-freegle it.

    Thank you to the person in Caversham whose blender has been used SOOOO much, and has helped make a lot of healthy vegetable soups, which I’m sure has been even more environmentally friendly than you’d have guessed, as those soups constantly help save me having to buy clothes in much larger sizes!

    Thank you to the lady just down the road from me, from the dressmakers patterns and offer of advice if needed. I never did take you up on it, but it was very kind of you. This was a few years before my little girl, and I passed the children’s ones onto a friend, who I think made several things for both her girls. (Where she finds the hours, I don’t know, but I’m glad they were used!)

    Thank you also to all the people who took things away – the space cleared has been wonderful, and I’m always happier if I think things are going to a good home! It’s definitely time for another clear out, so that’s added to the list of things I aim to do in June… or July if things run away from me, as usual.

    And of course if anyone feels the urge to offer a dressmakers’ dummy, an alto sax, or anything a toddler can have fun with, I’ll look forward to e-mailing you too!

    P.S. And an early thank you to the Woodley lady I’m arranging a pick-up with now – looking forward to enjoying the goodies!

    Gill Smith, Reading and Woodley Cafe

  • Hi. I recently unsubscribed from Glossop Freegle, and received your acknowledgement. My reason for leaving is that we have been de-cluttering prior to moving away from the area. Your site has been invaluable for our purposes – we have nothing left to give away!! and better still, much of it would have gone to the tip but for your organisation. It’s been fascinating to learn of the uses people have made of our unwanted items. Many thanks.

    Barry Glossop Freegle

  • Thank you everybody for your kind offers of sinks. I now have a nice one to place in my utility room.

    I am constantly amazed by the power of Freegle.

    Freegle is an amazing concept in my opinion. It not only reduces the pollution that is going in to landfill, but also extends the life of items and saves people an awful lot of money to boot!

    It is a win, win situation. The lady that I collected my sink from earlier, commented to me that she had met some very interesting people through Freegle. She had noticed that they were all well mannered and polite. In reply, I told her that I felt that these qualities were an intrinsic part of the Freegle community and spirit. Politeness and
    respect cost people nothing and are often rewarded greatly.

    In short, I am proud to be a part of this online community and would wholeheartedly suppport any efforts to enhance the experience for all.

    Adrian , Kettering/Wellingborough Freegle

  • I’ve freecycled and now freegled over various homes in Scotland and England over the years. And what I love most is the sheer surprise it often gives.

    I furnished one house from freecycle almost 6 years ago then passed those goods (and more) back again, when I moved to the other end of the country. I furnished another home in just two weeks, immediately before Christmas to make a wonderful home for my family to spend Christmas in, and have passed many of those goods back again as I’ve upgraded and bought new.

    I remember a chocolate fountain gifted for that Christmas that went down a storm, and was freecycled after Christmas to a young couple who wanted it for their wedding reception. I remember pink drawers left in a house when we moved in and I hated, being very gratefully received by a man whose wife had just had a baby girl after 3 boys.

    Most recently I offered a fridge, the taker was from a village with a reputation, I expected this to be recycling goods rather than any especially memorable or joyous experience. The chap who arrived (Mr Birdseye!) wanted the fridge for the local RNLI, the volunteer lifeboat men can now have fresh milk in their tea – my faith in people and my joy in Freegle is renewed. The space where the fridge had sat, was filled, the very same day with a table & chairs, freegled from another local who happily helped load them into my car.

    Gifts I could never afford to give, I can. Goods I could never afford to own, I can.

    Julie

  • I worked for some years as a conveyancing solicitor, handling the purchase of new homes. Often young couples or singles would want to purchase a home, and they all wanted to maximise deposits etc so didn’t have much furniture or what they had was ancient hand-me-downs. Sometimes couples were separating and sharing the furniture between them.

    For these people just beginning their lives as new homeowners, I’ve often recommended Freegle and many have come back to me to say how marvellous it has been to furnish their new homes with free furniture.

    I bought my own home and when it came to moving, found that some of my furniture wouldn’t fit or was totally unsuitable. I love the fact that I can experiment with different looks, different furnishings, different…everything. And what I don’t need soon finds a ready home with someone else. Everyone I’ve met has been delightful and it’s a pleasure “doing business” with them. The moderators at the local Freegle site work hard to keep the site a pleasant place. Hats off to them.

    Twinx , Bath Freegle

  • Over the past year I have offered and taken various items. A piano for my daughter, leather chairs for my son’s playroom (he is like Joey off Friends).

    Now if I get something new from the shops my son automatically thinks it is from Freegle he tells his friends how good it is. I joke on that I got him from there!

    Kay Hancock, Middlesbrough Freegle

  • I recently totally gutted my kitchen. I am a pensioner living on my own, and it’s been great. I haven’t had to struggle with a single screw. The nicest thing that happened involved my cooker. I had a woman from Porthmadog reply almost immediately, and within the hour she was at my door responding to an invitation to inspect. I opened the door, and she said: “Don’t you know me?” “No, I’m sorry”. It turned out that we were in ballet classes together 54 years ago in Blaenau Ffestiniog! It was very nice indeed. Another hour, and 2 sons and a trailer later and my cooker has a new home in Porthmadog. I am so delighted that absolutely nothing has gone to a landfill site.

    Carol , Porthmadog Recycle

  • Thank You note.

    I recently offered a 14” TV/DVD unit to the group, had loads of requests for it, one that caught my eye was from someone who is a refuge project worker at Havant Women’s Aid.

    Her reply to me read :

    We have a family who have recently moved into the refuge with four teenage children. This would be ideal as the kids could have it in their bedroom so they have some time separate from the other residents and their younger siblings. We are able to collect whenever is convenient for you. Thanks for considering us.

    Usual contact followed, she came to collect it…we chatted etc…I wished her well…off she went.

    Tonight I had an envelope through the door, my name on the front, opened it, pulled out a key ring with a hand drawn racing car fob, and a hand written note in very young writing.

    It said :

    Dear Bill, we thank you very much for the TV you gave us. It has made our life at the refuge much better and given us a reason to like our room, so thank you very, very much.

    Drawn on the other side of the paper was a huge THANK YOU all multi coloured…

    I was really touched by this as you can imagine…I showed it to my other half, Kris, she was quite touched too….

    My point is, if I hadn’t had the opportunity to offer it in the first place, this would not have happened.

    Bill Fiddes, Havant Freegle