The Beginning
Founded in 2008 and based on an idea by Mike Britton and Graham Tomkins, Goodwill Solutions launched its first warehouse in Northampton in June 2008. In 2009, the organisation was recognised as Social Enterprise of the Year through the StartUps awards programme.
Development
During 2009, we piloted re-socialisation programmes for former drug and alcohol users, by providing training for work readiness and skills related to the logistics industry. Our ‘affordable furniture’ supply to charitable organisations continued to provide benefit to those who could not afford product through the usual retail routes. We also cooperated on a project with B&Q, designed to clear, sort and sell obsolete product from over 300 branches.
Back To Work programme
In 2010, Goodwill Solutions created a ‘back-to-work’ programme that involved far more than just skills training, but allowed ex-offenders, recovering addicts, and former homeless, to actually be trained for work readiness, but also to gain experience working alongside permanent members of Goodwill Solutions in a ‘real work’ situation. We also started providing logistics support to overseas manufacturers to support their supply of furniture product to fulfil retail sales.
Growth
2011 brought recognition of the organisation for its commercial service when Asda agreed to use Goodwill Solutions to facilitate the supply of furniture product from two Eastern European manufacturers (Helvetia from Poland and Jitona from the Czech Republic). This product is sold through Asda’s online shop, with supply through our national home delivery service.
