Rebuild with Hope was established in 2021 to support ex-offenders back into their communities — providing employment opportunities, mentoring and wraparound support, and working to break down the stigma that still prevents many employers from giving people a second chance.
To fund that work, they run a fully operational warehouse, processing thousands of donated items weekly. As demand has grown, so has the pressure on their team.
Two projects posted on Wigan Council’s Match My Project helped — in ways that went further than expected.
We don’t just see businesses as donors anymore. We see them as partners in infrastructure.
— Claire Taylor, Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships, Rebuild with Hope Foundation
The projects
Rebuild were in danger of reaching capacity with their current volunteer team and needed extra hands to keep the warehouse running.
Radius Security Ltd stepped in, delivering 133 volunteer hours sorting, quality-checking, pricing and preparing stock.
But they delivered more than that, approaching their volunteering with enthusiasm, generosity, a clear willingness to get stuck in and were a genuine pleasure to work alongside.
Rebuild with Hope’s feedback is everything we like to hear at Match My Project:
“This was not a tick-box exercise, but a group of people who truly cared about the impact of their time and effort. Their contribution has directly supported our ability to help people facing barriers to employment and those affected by the cost of living.”
The second project was about visibility.
Rebuild with Hope needed new signage for their community hub in the Grand Arcade shopping centre. The sign needed to communicate a space beyond retail, somewhere that invited people in, but they didn’t have the budget for it, a common theme with charity work — finding the funds for marketing, overhead, when the direct work is what people want to hear about. ENV Graphics matched and delivered it.
“Outstanding from start to finish,” said Rebuild with Hope. “High-quality, professional, and exactly what we needed.”
Two projects. Different in nature. Both business partnerships, as it turned out, more impactful than anyone anticipated.
It’s changed perception immediately — from ‘shop’ to ‘community space.’ That subtle shift changes how people walk through the door.”.
— Claire Taylor, Rebuild with Hope Foundation
What it’s meant in practice
Claire Taylor, Director of Community Engagement & Partnerships at Rebuild with Hope, is direct about what the platform has meant for them:
“It’s opened doors. We’ve built meaningful relationships with businesses we probably wouldn’t have connected with otherwise.”
The impact has been practical. Volunteer support from Radius in the warehouse meant more stock processed and more families served.
New signage, delivered through a partnership with ENV Graphics, did something she didn’t expect.
“It’s been more powerful than we expected. It’s changed perception immediately, from ‘shop’ to ‘community space.’ That subtle shift changes how people walk through the door. They’re not just browsing; they’re asking about workshops, wellbeing sessions, referrals, partnerships.”
It’s also changed how Rebuild with Hope thinks about sustainability.
“We don’t just see businesses as donors anymore. We see them as partners in infrastructure. One might provide signage. Another provides skilled volunteers. Another supports logistics. When you stitch those contributions together, you build a much more resilient model.”
Package projects clearly, with timeframes and outcomes.
— Claire Taylor, Rebuild with Hope Foundation
Claire’s advice for others
For businesses unsure where they fit, Claire’s view is clear: “Don’t overthink it. A sign changes how a whole community perceives a space. A day in the warehouse means families get affordable clothing quicker.”
And for other community organisations on getting started, it’s a familiar phrase: “Be specific.” Businesses don’t respond well to ‘we need help’ but they do respond to ‘we need 4 volunteers for 6 hours to sort winter stock.’ Package projects clearly, with timeframes and outcomes.”
What this tells us about Social Value done right
Community organisations are often the busiest people in the room, working at capacity in service of the people who need them most.
Claire’s advice isn’t about doing more — it’s about saying clearly what you need, so the right support finds you. That’s not bending to suppliers. That’s making the partnership work for you.
Ready to bring your next project to life? It takes less than 15 minutes to sign up and post a project. Find your local authority at matchmyproject.org to get started.
To find out how your business can support projects like Rebuild with Hope’s, head to matchmyproject.org/business
Our goal is to facilitate partnerships, not transactions.
The platform is designed to create conditions for relationships to form and grow — and what we see, time and again, is suppliers returning to support the same community organisations.
The value is in the connection, not just the one-off donation.
What Rebuild with Hope shows is that these contributions aren’t isolated acts of kindness. Getting support from multiple partners, each contributing according to their expertise, builds something more resilient than any single donation could. A sign. A team of volunteers. A logistics solution. Separately, each has impact. Together, they build infrastructure.
Donations may be the beginning. They are certainly not the end.
“Radius have set a high bar for what meaningful corporate volunteering looks like, and we would wholeheartedly welcome the opportunity to work with them again in the future.” — Rebuild with Hope
Read more
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Got questions? Get in touch at hello@matchmyproject.org
