The charitable agencies listed collect hand tools and simple
equipment suitable for use in less economically advantaged
countries. For special trade equipment see Plant and Machinery
(88). Items of a more general nature should prove saleable
through Auction Houses (110) or local second-hand shops.
Alphabetical list of organisations
AG Machine Tools Technology Ltd
Tel 01353 661093 / 01353 669909
Main Street, Witchford, ELY, Cambs CB6 2H
Sale and purchase of used machine tools. CNC specialist.
Apex Services
Tel 01296 651961 Fax 01296 651962
Unit 421, Westcott Venture Park, Westcott, AYLESBURY, Bucks
Dealer in new and used machine tools.
InKind Direct
Tel 0207 860 5927 / 0207 860 5930 Fax 0207 860 5920
Email info@inkinddirect.org
Website www.inkinddirect.org
19 Milk Street, London EC2V 8AN
Contact Tasha Procter, Charities partnership administrator
Charity distributing surplus goods from industry to voluntary organisations throughout UK and abroad. The mainly new goods are surplus because they are samples, seconds, ends of lines, slow moving items or have faulty packaging. (However, used computers are refurbished, equipped with operating systems and resold ready to go with 30 day warranty.) Goods are valuable and useful, but would otherwise go to waste because companies don't have the time or the contacts to make better use of them. However, they are just the kinds of things needed by people served by charities, not-for-profit organisations or social businesses, including educational items, toys, toiletries, tools, trainers; household appliances and cleaning products; clothes, shoes, sportswear; bedding and linen. Office supplies and equipment worth over £43 million have been donated by hundreds of companies, and thousands of charities have benefited. To donate, download faxback form from website. Voluntary organisations pay an annual registration fee, and receive a monthly catalogue of available goods. So, instead of occupying storage space or worse, going to landfill, these items go to a huge range of deserving causes. Range of fees based on charities' incomes - but thanks to funding from charitable trusts and foundations, many groups are subsidised either by geographical location or charity focus. Open until 6.30 Thursdays. Operating since 1997. Retail Donation Initiative (RDI) is another way retailers can donate goods - each branch of a national retailer is matched with a local charity which arranges regular pick-ups of customer returns, ends-of-lines and items with slight defects. Allows stores to build a relationship with a charity from their community - contact robert@inkinddirect.org Tel 0207 860 5971. (Updated May 2005)
Norman Machinery Ltd
Tel 01453 886084
Phoenix Works, STROUD, Glos GL5 2BU
Machinery dealer. Sale and purchase of used machine tools.
O'Dell F D & Sons Ltd
Tel 01462 812191 Fax 01462 812191
New Street Works, New Street, SHEFFORD, Beds SG17 5BW
Ferrous and non-ferrous scrap merchant and salvage dealer in constructional steel and secondhand machine tools. Waste disposal and transfer service.
Re-Cycle
Tel/ Fax 01206 382207 60 High Street, WEST MERSEA, Essex CO5
8JE
Email: info@re-cycle.org Website www.re-cycle.org
Contact Merlin Matthews, founder/president
Charity 'taking old bikes to new places'. Will receive, but cannot
collect, unwanted bicycles (millions rust in garages), and ships them to five
African countries. Requests donation towards shipping with each
bike. Will also receive old tools and parts.
Working also with Greenwich Cycling Campaign, who will receive bikes from
July 2003. It sets up workshops with local partners to teach people how
to repair and maintain bikes. In South Africa, Re-Cycle has set up a
charity, Afribike, helping people save 1/4 of their income spent on transport.
In poor countries a 4-hour, 10 mile daily walk is common just for survival - to
fetch water, take goods to farm, factory or market, to get to school, or act as
game warden. Bikes can make lives much easier, so people are trained to
run workshops in local communities, teaching repair, maintenance and safe
riding. Many 'Cycleversity' graduates are women, who become empowering
role models for students. For a token fee people get a 2-day basic
mechanics course so they can keep and look after the bike they refurbish, which
then
lasts for years. South Africa has
1,000 bike pilot projects in 10 provinces, and plans 60 workshops and 1,000,000
bikes over the next ten years! See www.afribike.org.
Re~Cycle and Afribike make the 'extraBike', a simplekit device that
greatly increases a bike's load capacity to carry more people (up to two adults
and two children) or goods. This
makes it into a labour saving, job-creating tool suitable for tasks like
carrying food and
water, mobile vending and collecting recyclables. www.xtracycle.com
gives details of a more expensive version for the UK.
In the UK, Re~Cycle reduces the number of bikes landfilled. By encouraging
cycling, it cuts car pollution and congestion, and improves health. It generates
income worldwide and provides environmental benefit by sellingorganic, fairly
traded, recycled, reclaimed, rechargeable, long life, energy efficient, vegan,
affordable items, and cheap, good quality, services including land and mobile
phones, green electricity, gas and internet shopping. 'Earn a bike'
scheme, with community and youth groups, churches, schools, councils and
charities, provides a free bike to UK volunteers in return for 30 hours work for
Re-Cycle. This gives them skills in cycle maintenance, administration,
marketing, communication, time management, teamwork and relationships, as well
as self-worth. It aims to set up eight UK collection points for bikes.
Sources include Royal Mail (4500 a year), old stock donated by cycle shops and
manufacturers, police and lost property. UK partnerships include Tools for Self
Reliance (www.tfsr.org - see WasteBook section
85), experienced in shipping, and setting up workshops overseas; Riders for
Health (www.riders.org.uk ); and councils.
(Updated
Mar 2003)
SH Tools Ltd
Tel 0121 772 8487 Fax 0121 771 4412
149 Garrison Street, BIRMINGHAM, West Mids B9 4BN
Purchaser of engineers' redundant tools: drills, taps, reamers, HSS and tungsten carbide tips and secondhand machinery.
Tools for Self Reliance
Tel 02380 869697 Fax 02380 868544 Email info@tfsr.org
Website www.tfsr.org
Netley Marsh, SOUTHAMPTON SO40 7GY
Independent charitable organisation founded in 1979 with UK-wide network of local collectors seeking unwanted tools and simple machinery to refurbish and ship to developing countries to equip village craftspeople. Ring for details of local outlets. Local refurbishers are needed by 70 groups in the UK. Leaflets available illustrating tools particularly wanted. These include metal, wood and leather working tools; blacksmithing equipment; and sewing machines. Works with local organisations in six African countries, providing tools and training. A few thousand tools from Britain have been made by African blacksmiths into over a million items, now in daily use in their communities. Useful links from website. (Updated May 2002)
Tools with a Mission
Tel 01473 652029 Fax 01473 652113
Email twamhq@btopenworld.com
Website www.twam.co.uk
Unit 3 Perry Barn, Burnstall Lane, Sproughton, IPSWICH, Suffolk IP8
3DJ
Contact Timothy Elliot, Admin Manager
Christian charity collecting handtools, sewing machines, typewriters etc to refurbish and ship to the needy in the third world. Volunteers prioritise requests for tool kits from many countries and match, assemble and pack from stock available. In 2000 over 50 tonnes of tools were sent to many destinations, which will provide longer term aid and a chance to earn a living. Network of over 160 collectors around England. (Updated May 2002)
Workaid
Tel 01494 765506 Fax 01494 765507
Unit 2B, St Georges Industrial Estate, White Lion Road, AMERSHAM,
Bucks HP7 9JQ
Church-based organisation similar to Tools for Self Reliance. Also seek horticultural equipment; sewing machines; limited quantities of typewriters. Network of local collectors.