Gift Back Friday is an idea based on connecting people and communities from far and wide that can help our local community of Manchester. In 2013, I spent every Saturday morning for 18 months providing care for the disadvantaged and marginalised at Many Rooms Kitchen in Melbourne. It opened my eyes to how quickly life can be flipped upside down and how close we all really are to suffering such fate. On returning to Manchester and setting up Blendsmiths, I was devastated to learn Manchester has some of the highest levels of homelessness in the UK – according to statistics published by Shelter in January 2023, Manchester ranks third-highest in the country for people experiencing homelessness per capita, with around 7,407 people (one in 74 people) experiencing homelessness. This is a huge, unacceptable number. We connected with a charity called Mustard Tree in 2018 who focus on combatting poverty and preventing homelessness. What could we do as small company just getting going ourselves? Support is the answer in any shape we could at the root cause of homelessness. Support has been through weekly donation of Blendsmiths products, % of sales and most recently we plan to offer training and education programs for Mustard Tree. In March 2023, 10,577 people walked through their doors, driven by: · Food costs driven by demand planned 7% decrease, actual 89% increase in price inflation and demand · Utilities – 55% increase in the plan - actual was 95% · Fuel inflation planned at 17% - actual peaked at 43% · Salary Inflation Plan was 2% from October - actual was between 5-9.5% from August · Income target was £1.74 million and actual was £2.1 million This Black Friday, we will be donating 25% of sales to Mustard Tree. An opportunity for us to offer you something, and in return, you are gifting somebody else in need, something back! 💚 #giftbackfriday #giftback #community #charity #mustardtree #blendsmiths #blackfriday
A 'Black Friday' deal that makes a difference. At Blendsmiths, we wanted to make something more of Black Friday than just giving a great deal- we wanted to do good and make a difference. So this year we are introducing our 'Gift Back Friday' initiative, starting next Friday, November 24, 2023. Our customers can enjoy an incredible 50% off on all their favourite Blendsmiths boxes AND -here's the meaningful twist – we're committing to giving back by donating 25% of all sales to our longstanding Charity Partner, Mustard Tree. As a conscious business with a history of charitable partnerships, our mission extends beyond providing exceptional blends. For many years, we've aligned ourselves with Mustard Tree, an organisation dedicated to combatting poverty and preventing homelessness—a mission more critical than ever amid the challenges of the current cost-of-living crisis. So, let's make this 'Gift Back Friday' a celebration of gratitude and generosity. Join us in making it a GIFT BACK Friday full gratitude and generosity. Your purchases don't just bring joy to your cup; they contribute to positive change. Let's sip with purpose! ☕🎁 🔗 Ps, to get your Gift Back Friday reminder, sign up here: https://lnkd.in/eN3crFhu 🔗 #ConsciousBusiness #GiftBackFriday #MustardTree #BlackFridayDeals
Great to have your outstanding support, Ryan - thank you for all your (and your team's) efforts, passion & donations!