Riverside Advice
Riverside Advice is a Welfare Rights organisation in Cardiff. They have cleverly integrated product-giving into the advice and information on energy, welfare benefits, debt and housing they receive funding from the British Gas Energy Trust (BGET) to deliver.
Barbara, CEO, explains the products that have been most well-received : “In particular we provide hygiene goods such as shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste deodorant, washing powder and toilet paper. Purchasing these products is unaffordable for people, whose priority is food and shelter.”
Their team hold regular community Pop-Ups and find that giving out items like toothpaste encourages people to speak to them. These conversations lead to other issues being identified and take up of other services that tackle the causes behind their situation.
In Kind Direct’s partnership with BGET enables their funded organisations to access an additional budget to cover our charge for products.
As Barbara added: “This meant last year we were able to use our £700 allocated budget to access £5,620 worth of high-quality branded products. These products have been fundamental in building confidence for clients, battling depression improving their preparedness and success for such situations as job interviews and being housed to move forward with their lives.”
BGET Head of Programmes, Ros Halley, said: “We value our partnership with In Kind Direct. We recognise the important role this partnership can play in removing the barriers organisations face in getting much-needed products out, and the savings unlocked means that more of our grant funding can be directed into money guidance and energy advice services to help even more people experiencing hardship. Last year alone over £53,000 in savings was unlocked – every £1 through BGET’s grant enabled projects to receive products worth £6.64″.
“Last year we were able to use our £700 allocated budget to access £5,620 worth of high-quality branded products. These products have been fundamental in building confidence for clients”.
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