ReBOUND Donor Friday

The supply chain, logistics and warehousing of an organisation are rarely shouted about, generally because they are only noticed if things go wrong. Few people before 2018 would have considered KFC’s end to end logistics, but it came into sharp focus when a failure in their supply chain resulted in almost 700 of their UK outlets closing and many newspapers led with the story that they had run out of chicken.

Logistics is so central to our operational model and with ReBOUND’s help as a Diamond Patron, we have provided consistent support to hundreds of companies, thousands of charities and millions of people. We pride ourselves on our ability to receive very large donations from our corporate partners sometimes at short notice. We process these items as quickly as possible and ensure that our network of charities across the UK can access them to support their communities. Especially this year, where we have received offers of support from our corporate partners at a scale we have never experienced before.

ReBOUND’s founders Phil Smith and Graham Best have been our trusted supply chain partner since 2009 through another logistics business they own. In that time the warehouse team have picked over 4 million items across nearly 200,000 orders. The real impact can get lost in such large figures, but when you consider that each one of these orders were a lifeline for a community centre, a foodbank, a refuge or a school that helped them to continue operating through tough times, the impact is huge. Product giving is now embedded into ReBOUND’s returns solution to help divert unwanted stock from landfill, taking our partnership to a new level.

ReBOUND COO Phil Smith commented:

“An estimated £10bn of clothing piled up in UK warehouses during the first Coronavirus lockdown, so it’s more crucial than ever to offer a joined up sustainable solution that allows retailers to donate product to those that need it most. Our partnership with In Kind Direct connects these dots to help fashion become more circular whilst doing social good. Not just for surplus returned stock stuck in storage, but also spreading awareness of the fantastic impact of In Kind Direct’s distribution model”

Our CEO Rosanne has this to say about the partnership:

“In the more than a decade we’ve been working with Phil, Graham and more recently, the wider ReBOUND team, they’ve helped us deliver millions of essential products to thousands of communities. Both our organisations understand the challenges of getting large volumes of goods to where they are needed. Together, ReBOUND’s experience, innovation and support enables our expertise to have an incredible impact - whether that’s getting clothes to those experiencing homelessness, toys to children to encourage play and build social skills, or vital hygiene supplies to anyone struggling to keep clean and safe and to live with dignity. We hope businesses reading this will be inspired to get in touch – we’d love to hear from you."

Find out more about our partnership with ReBOUND on their website: Returns Regifting