About Us
Please click on a section to find out more.
Do your unwanted but useful items need new homes? Are you looking for something?
We help people give and get things for free in their local community. Some people have stuff they don't want any more. Other people would like things they don't have. We match them up. We don't have physical premises, or warehouses - people give things directly to each other.
Don't throw it away, give it away!
It's simple.
- Post a message offering an item.
- Other people see it and reply to you.
- Choose who to give it to and they collect.
- You've decluttered, made someone's day and saved an item from landfill.
That's freegling! And it's all free.
You can also search or browse the items offered, or post a request for something that other people might have.
We Love Volunteers!
Freegle is run by volunteers. Here are some of us:
Our Board
Our volunteers elect a Board. Here they are:
Cat does the publicity and social media for Freegle; she is a tireless and award-winning waste-prevention activist. She famously sourced the materials for an architect designed house built out of waste in Brighton. She also does inspiring rubbish talks all around the world in the hope we still have a world in years to come! She’s a little bit disruptive but in a good way and being Australian is happiest in the garden or on the sea with some sunshine thrown in.
Volunteers for Freegle and balances his karma with a job in financial services. Strongly believers that *everything* can be reused by someone, somewhere (out of date tinned fish? a 9 year old diary?). Started volunteering in Edinburgh many years ago with the aim of helping things ticking over and subsequently became a member of the board.
David set up SOENECS, an independent environmental research and innovation practice in 2014 following 15 years in leadership roles in local and regional government. SOENECS provides strategic advice and support to the public and private sectors on circular economy, waste & resource management, innovative solutions, chairing and facilitation and partnership delivery. David is co-creator and programme manager for the www.pothole-spotter.co.uk trial and the www.techtakeback.co.uk trial. David is also the London “Circular Economy Club” co-organiser, non-executive Director of CIWM enterprises, Chair of the ICE Resource Management Panel, Delivery Director for the Diocese of Chichester Energy Stewardship Programme and advisor and past chair to the National Waste Network Chairs (WNC). He is a Chartered Waste Manager, a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM), a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) and a Chartered Environmentalist.
After two decades in the commercial software world, Edward now focuses on generating altruism through technology. He's been involved in online reuse since 2005, and when he's not working as an IT contractor (partly for Freegle) helps other volunteering and medical charities. He lives in the wilds of Lancashire, hunts down ghost signs, and likes cake so much that he really ought to get out for a walk more often. Edward is the Board Chair.
Jen is a Freegle volunteer in Skelmersdale.
Mike has been a Freegle volunteer for a few years as it was Freecycle when he first became a volunteer. He tries to reuse where possible, and does have several items of furniture that he has gained from Freegle. He lives in Gillingham in Kent and look after pet guinea pigs with his wife and has recently taken up crossstitch as a hobby.
Mike founded Basildon Freecycle (now Freegle) back in 2003 when he moved to the district and discovered there was no local group. He works in IT and runs a small software company providing systems management and automation solutions, and delivering consultancy services. Mike lives in between towns, in a semi-rural location and enjoys reading, comedy, 80's music and F1 racing.
Ruth joined Freegle, or Freecycle as it was then, by setting up the Porthmadog group in March 2005. She tries very hard to reuse rather than buy new, and to give away rather than throw away. She lives by the mountains and coast of North Wales, on the edge of Snowdonia with three cats and husband. When not volunteering for Freegle or catering to her cats' every whim, Ruth works in family history and genealogy.
Why We Do It
People have different reasons! Common reasons are:
- Many of us are passionate about the environment - and reuse means we make and destroy less stuff.
- We like helping people get things they need, which they otherwise couldn't get.
- We care about our local communities, and this is a way to make them better.
Get Involved!
We're always looking for more volunteers - for local communities, graphics, publicity, improving the website...there's lots to do.
If you'd like to get involved, contact your local community.
Freegle is free to use, but not free to run. We provide a free service, and keep costs phenomenally low thanks to our large number of committed volunteers - our annual budget averages around £80,000 each year for the whole of the UK. You can see our accounts here.
Nevertheless, there are still costs involved, and if we had more money we could get more people freegling more often. We run on a shoestring...actually, we're saving up to buy a shoestring.
There are lots of good causes out there, many of them for life-threatening conditions, all of them competing for charity funding. It usually goes to bigger charities than us doing more important work, so we currently rely on voluntary donations to cover our costs. You can donate here.
Many current donations come from our volunteers, who are already donating their time and may not be able to donate money as well. If you can, please donate £3 to keep us running - but anything you can give is very welcome. Regular monthly donations are especially helpful.
We also have ads on the site and in emails. It doesn't raise as much as you'd think, but it helps keep us running.
Freegle is a UK-wide umbrella organisation, formed in 2009 by experienced volunteers and members of the free reuse community. We are a charity, and our charitable aims are:
- Promoting the keeping of usable items out of landfill.
- Promoting and supporting local community groups working in the area of reuse.
- Empowering and supporting volunteers working for local Freegle groups.
- Informing and educating the public about environmental matters related to the reuse and recycling of unwanted usable goods.
- Promoting sustainable waste management practices.
Each Freegle local group is run independently and is affiliated to Freegle Ltd, which provides central services (such as this website) to these groups and their volunteers. Freegle Ltd is a Registered Society (previously known as an Industrial and Provident Society for Community Benefit). Freegle Ltd is owned and governed by its members. Local and national volunteers are eligible for membership.
Charities of this type are slightly unusual in that they do not register with the Charity Commission (see here). Instead they register with the Financial Conduct Authority (our registration number is 32410R) and also register with HMRC as charitable (our reference is XT32865). So we're legally a charity, and can claim Gift Aid if you donate, but of a slightly different type than you might be used to.
If you have questions, please contact us.
