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Author: inlife

Things are starting to feel real… how very exciting!

We now have our first Grace Cares depot in Lichfield which has been generously offered to us by a very kind Lichfield business women. She has previously supported children with special needs in the Lichfield community and is an all around lovely human. She’ll kill us for putting this, as she is not one for the limelight… hence not naming names, but it only feels right to publicly thank her.

This means care equipment donations can be dropped off with ease, we even have a roller door so you can back in right to the entrance of the depot.

People are also able to come and see our care equipment before choosing which item best fits their needs.

Currently you need to pre-book an appointment to donate or to have a look and pick up a care item so we can ensure a member of the team is there to meet you. Especially if you are donating bulky items as we will need to ensure our manual lifting trained staff are there to ensure everyone’s safety.

As we grow we will be looking to get this manned at regular hours. We would welcome if anyone would like to volunteer to support.

You may or may not see Adam, Emma and Hannah in wheelchair races around the estate… BUT there will always be time for a cuppa and a natter (might even stretch to biscuits if we have raised enough money!).

 

Please note: Unfortunately for health and safety reasons we can only take working equipment and any furniture donations need to have the fire label and not be over a certain age due to the use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

 

Grace Cares is delighted to announce the launch of our partnership with Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust.

How does this work?

We travel to their pick-up/storage location and pick up any working and reusable care equipment they need to get rid of.

  • We work closely with their waste manager and monitoring manager with email/phone/video calls (to save carbon on travel instead of face-to-face meetings) to touch base.
  • We set up a dedicated email for them to communicate with Grace Cares to ensure no requests are missed. They are also able to phone Grace Cares head office number and have all three founder’s mobile phone numbers.
  • All of our pickup personnel are always clearly identifiable as they wear branded apparel.
  • We were happy to undertake DBS checks etc but at a cost to the NHS Community Trust.
  • We go to their pick-up/storage location and pick up any working and reusable care equipment they need to dispose of.
  • With each pick-up we require both parties to fill in digital donation forms (that we provide but have been created with the input of the Birmingham NHS Community Trust) that outlines when the pickup has taken place and by whom, what items have been picked up and what condition they are in. This is signed by both a representative from Grace Cares and the NHS Community Trust. This also documents that they have donated the care equipment items and are now giving them to Grace Cares.
  • We also have a formal transfer of ownership agreement signed by both entities.

Grace Cares pre-loved care equipment

“I really excited to make this work and give something back to our Community.” Waste Manager, Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

“We are so glad that this partnership has launched. It shows commitment from the NHS to stop the throw away culture and we are happy to support their ‘Delivering a Net Zero National Health Service’ strategy.” Emma Smith, co-founder, Grace Cares

 

If you’re an NHS trust, GP practice, care home, home care, funeral director, removal company, company investing in & financing care homes or any other business that might come in contact with care equipment please do get in touch. We can send you our How & Why proposal document which includes a comprehensive breakdown of the benefits of partnering with Grace Cares which includes:

  • Cost saving
  • Environmental and sustainability impact
  • Corporate social responsibility
  • Best practice and other benefits

We are extremely grateful to be supported by the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games with a very kind donation of pre-loved care equipment.

Like many large public events, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games bought new wheelchairs, evacuation chairs and other care equipment to ensure the safe delivery of the events for everyone to enjoy. Some of this care equipment was barely used and in practically brand new condition. The manufactures won’t take it back and the public money had already been spent.

Birmingham Commonwealth Games supports Grace Cares

Grace Cares made contact and let them know about our mission to collect, donate, and sell pre-loved care equipment to enhance people’s quality of life, support care workers and older people in need with grants and community groups and leave a better planet for future generations.

They loved that the equipment would be given a new lease of life as well as helping those in need and the local community and were happy to donate and be involved.

Birmingham Commonwealth Games supports Grace Cares

We can’t promise you’ll be winning medals like David Russell Weir CBE but maybe some of the Commonwealth Games magic might inspire the equipment’s next owner. If nothing else what a wonderful story and great to know the equipment was part of such an event. Care equipment is far more than just a product to own, care equipment provides vital life lines to their owners and enhances quality of life.

And if you didn’t know the lovely Emma Smith (one of our co-founders) was a Birmingham Commonwealth Games volunteer.

If you know of any type of events that are needing to accommodate for everyone please let us know. We can either supply the care equipment or we would love to give any care equipment a new home and volunteer to help at the event.