Partnering with In Kind Direct leverages funds for Dumfries Welfare Rights

Working with In Kind Direct has helped Dumfries Welfare Rights win their recent (2009) award from the Big Lottery “Award for All” Fund. In Kind Direct is delighted that Dumfries Welfare Rights highlighted the partnership to leverage funding.

In Kind Direct receives donations of new surplus products from manufacturers and retailers which it redistributes to UK charities working at home and abroad. All charities pay is a handling charge for In Kind Direct’s service – a fraction of the normal retail price.

Dumfries Welfare Rights provides specialist advice on topics such as welfare benefits for those in housing need and provide specialist benefit training to other organisations throughout the UK. They joined In Kind Direct in 2005, and to date have received over £22,000 worth of goods for under £3,500 in handling charges.

Manager Bill McCormack explained the importance of In Kind Direct: ‘Our charity relies on donations and the income gained through the training we provide to other organisations. We decided some years ago to help those moving into homeless accommodation and their first properties by giving them bags of essential items. These essential items can be anything from shampoo and soap to cleaning materials and toilet rolls. We also provide small appliances like kettles and toasters. A team of volunteers has been running this project from the beginning.

‘We had been funding the project ourselves and requesting items from In Kind Direct. Funding it was getting difficult so we decided to seek a grant from the Big Lottery “Awards for All” Fund. We were able to say that the money they would give would be stretched many times over by using In Kind Direct.

‘Now we have been awarded the grant, our volunteers are visiting various homeless providers to make sure as many homeless people as possible receive a home starter bag. It is wonderful to be able to continue this work with the help of the Lottery and In Kind Direct.’

Robin Boles, Chief Executive of In Kind Direct, commented: ‘Dumfries Welfare Rights is truly an In Kind Direct success story, using their partnership with us to leverage funding and prove financial prudence. For In Kind Direct to be used as part of a funding application or as matched funding because of our resource stretching ability is entirely appropriate. Being part of a team that provides good quality items to vulnerable people at a time when they need a helping hand is what In Kind Direct is all about.’

Charities can join In Kind Direct for free at www.inkinddirect.org/charities/joinnow.asp

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Notes to Editors

Media contacts
In Kind Direct: Samantha Barber 020 7714 3922, 07527 133106 sam@inkinddirect.org
Dumfries Welfare Rights: 01387 266888 bill@welfarerights.net

To arrange an interview with Robin Boles from In Kind Direct please contact Samantha Barber.

For Bill McCormack from Dumfries Welfare Rights please contact 01387 266888.

About In Kind Direct
In Kind Direct was founded by HRH The Prince of Wales in 1996 to distribute companies’ surplus goods to charities, helping to avoid unnecessary waste. It is the only organisation coordinating in-kind giving on a UK-wide scale. Since the charity started, £80 million of goods have been donated by over 750 companies, including many household names. Over 6,000 charities have benefited helping over one million people every year. These represent every kind of cause, including under-privileged children, sickness and disability, family welfare, homelessness, emergency relief, community support and job skills training. For more information visit www.inkinddirect.org

About Dumfries Welfare Rights
Dumfries Welfare Rights can be contacted on 01387 266888. We are the regions only specialist advice agency based in a deprived area of Dumfries (Lincluden). We help over 8,000 people each year generating millions of pounds in missing benefit income for vulnerable people in our local community. The award from the Big Lottery “Awards for All” was just under £10,000 for one year to help approximately 750 homeless families and people. Visit www.welfarerights.net for more information.