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Recycling website raises cash for charities

Fundraising | Tania Mason | 1 Mar 2009

A website has been launched with the aim of raising money for charity while reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill.

JumbleAID.com, which its creators say combines the ethos of Freecycle with the technology of eBay, allows individuals to post their unwanted items online free of charge, while nominating the charity they wish to support and their target donation.

Prospective buyers then indicate how much they are willing to donate to the charity in return for the item.

When the listing ends the seller chooses the winning bidder, though this may not necessarily be the highest pledge, with all the money going directly to the chosen charity.

Support from ‘Secret Millionaire’ Hopkins

JumbleAID is the brainchild of Simon Pailin and Colin Feeley, with support from the co-founders of internet service provider Freeserve, Ajaz Ahmed and Rob Wilmot, ‘Secret Millionaire’ Carl Hopkins and Huddersfield University lecturer Nadio Granata.

The site’s founding charity partners include Barnardo’s, World Vision and the Prince’s Trust, while Leeds City Council will be promoting the site to its residents to help meet landfill reduction targets.

The creators intend to promote, develop and sustain the site through sponsorship, advertising and affiliate marketing. They will not take commission on donations.

"JumbleAID.com is a simple idea and perhaps that’s why people ‘get it’ and want to support it," explains Pailin.

Brand extensions planned

"We are at the beginning of something very special. We have many more ideas and extensions of the JumbleAID brand to help even more charities and interest groups that include education, business, communities and even JumbleKids.

"There is already talk of TV channels and of course we want to take the JumbleAID name worldwide."

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