Help us launch the next phase of BDB's expansion! We have a team, we have a plan, and now we just need YOU to fling us into the future...
by Borrow Don't Buy in Plymouth, United Kingdom
UPDATE: WE ARE NOW CURRENTLY BEING MATCH-FUNDED BY AVIVA! All first pledges up to £250 will be doubled, and potentially doubled again once we hit 25%. Limited time only on AVIVA SO GO GO GO!!
Borrow Don't Buy is Plymouth's first and ONLY Library of Things, we opened in 2018, and 6 years on, we are now so much more...
Plymouth's Library of Things (LoT)
We have come a loooooonnnnngg way from a handful of items and a few members, boasting an Inventory of 700+ useful items you do not need to own, but need to use, a community of 2250+ awesome Borrowers, and 6000 completed loans!
What our Borrowers are saying...
Digitial Inclusion & E-waste Project
Back in 2020 we noticed a desperate need for people to get online due to the pandemic. So, with the help of partners, we started collecting unused digital devices, refurbishing them and getting them to people experiencing digital exclusion... Since then we have recieved 700+ devices and distributed almost 500 devices, impacting over 1000 people!
Hear how your pledges will help people...
In 2023, we were lucky enough to be awarded a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund which has been vital for the development of our services and has allowed us to expand our team subsequently helping us establish our eBay store, increase our inventory over 700 items, open 4 FULL days per week, and a whole lot of other super boring but important stuff that will allow us to continue our growth. This funding is coming to and end, and long story short, we need to make sure we can continue bring you the services which you all love so dearly!
As we are all aware, things got REALLY expensive recently, and that also effected us and although we have plans to ensure our longevity, we need time with such a small team to ensure we get there. It also means that Borrowing and our other services are even more important for our communities right now to help them save valuable income!
BDB exists to serve our Community... we want your suggestions, we want the stuff you don't need anymore, we want to keep borrowing accessible and affordable and we want to turn unused tech into usable tech and into the hands that need it most! Ducky actually went to the future, and came back to tell us that over there EVERYONE borrows! This means we need to expand and make sure this happens... and so BDB's Future-Focused Funding Fest is HERE!
Crowdfunding, and our INCREDIBLE SUPPORTERS have been super valuable to BDB from its birth right through all its developmental stages so far - and this is our 4TH CROWDFUNDER!
It not only gives us a chance to really SHOUT about who we are, what we do and how our communites can benefit from us, but it also opens up opportunities for potential MATCH-FUNDERS to DOUBLE your money and help us have an even BIGGER impact!
As of November, our prices will also be going up a little (for the first time) to make sure we can afford to bring you borrowing and digital inclusion - of course we still aim to keep borrowing affordable for as many people as possible, and Crowdfunding and match-funding allows us to this by offering great deals to use and a chance to secure current prices for another year!
This campaign is an ALL-OR-NOTHING campaign so we NEED to hit our target, or it all falls through. With any luck our potential match-funders will pledge up to HALF of our target, so run and get your rewards NOW!
Volunteer Programme:
We have a couple of awesome people who lend their time to us here at BDB and now we want to get more volunteers involved! Thanks to all our recent expansion,we have more people than ever borrowing, donating and buying from us and we need more help! We will improve our volunteering programme to offer more opportunities for people to share their skills and learn new ones! Keep an eye out in the coming months if it is something you are interested in!
Additional Equipment and Space:
To manage increased item and tech donations we need additional storage space. This will give us more room for additional volunteers, more items for the library and more space for you to donate your unused items and tech!
Website Development:
We have begun working on our website to unify our projects, better communicate our impact, and improve your experience using it! Some of the funding will help make our new shiny new website a hub for all climate and community-focused initiatives, with more opportunity for collaboration!
Expanding GEO and Partnership Schemes: GEO rewards help towards the costs of refurbishing the devices we give to people experiencing digital exclusion in the City, allowing us to offer this free service. We will develop systems and partnerships making it more efficient and increasing our ability to GET MORE PEOPLE ONLINE!
Marketing:
Now we have a good number of inventory items, a bigger team and more partners we are ready TO TELL EVERYONE about BDB! We will create a marketing campaign that will bring the news of our services to more of Plymouth! With more volunteers we will be able to serve all the additional borrowers that will flock...
Ensure success as a Living Wage Employer:
We have recently become an accredited Living Wage Employer meaning all current and future staff are paid in line with the Living Wage Foundation. This has been a target since opening and crowdfunding will help us maintain this status making BDB an even more awesome place to work!
Donation Systems:
We have some awesome ideas on how we can make donating tech and other items to our projects easier for YOU. Funding will go towards planning and implementing the start of these plans! Think 'donation station', think drop offs in your local areas without traipsing to the City centre, think more things back into use...
For EVERY pledge no matter how big or small:
Casual Borrower Membership: Our MOST POPULAR Pay-As-You-Go membership is currently £3 a year but the price will be increasing in November 2024! Get yours for the current price for when you renew within the next year and save yourself a few quid whilst supporting our CF! THIS REWARD CAN BE USED ON ALL Casual Borrower Memberships, INCLUDING Student Casual Borrower AND THINQTANQ Casual Borrower Memberships!
Full Borrower Membership: CROWDFUNDER EXCLUSIVE full borrower membership gets all your borrowing for a whole year! This is a rare oppotunity for those super borrowers to snap up the best deal ever! ONLY 20 AVAILABLE!
If commitment isn't your thing...
Why not grab yourself or a friend some borrowing credit with 25% extra included or a 10% off cheeky discount voucher instead of a membership!
Your pledge helps us refurbish and match people experiencing digital exclusion with a device and get them online!
We have 3 awesome designs to choose from. Our BDB totes are big enough to fit a pizza box (because who doesn't love pizza!?), are organic cotton, are designed by us (yes the Elves are very cheeky) and are printed by the wonderful, local Tom Dooleys printers! Check below for your fave design, then choose the correct reward to match...
BIG DUCK ENERGY | WHAT THE DUCK | RELEASE THE QUACKEN
Our little friends below all need names! Grab yourself the 'Name An Item' reward and once the campaign is successful you will be allocated in a random draw one of these to choose a name* for! So get your creative heads on! 10 AVAILABLE!
*Terms and Conditions for Naming Items
Do you have a business that wants to get involved in our work? Perhaps you want to encourage your staff to get Borrowing? Well now you can, and maybe even get your money doubled with match-funding! See how your sponsorship looks on our Cargo Trolley listing sponsored by Climate Clarity HERE.
Are you a business that is passionate about helping to fix the digital divide AND e-waste at the same time? Well look no further. Our GEO project takes tech from those that no longer need it, and refurbished it to disribute to those that do, tackling digital exclusion AND e-waste at the same time!
KiNG OF THE NERDS | Card Game:
Are you a Nerd, or know someone who is? Well this one's for you! Donated by Gary Plymouth local Quiz Master and self-proclaimed Nerd, designed this game himself!"King of the Nerds is a card-based quiz game where players compete to become KING OF THE NERDS by answering a series of questions about Movies, Television and Video Games from their favourite generation." Click the image to read about how to play!| ONLY 5 AVAILABLE!
Taste of Zero Waste | Zero Waste Starter Kit:
Start yourself or a loved one on the journey to zero waste thanks to the lovely Maisy at Taste of Zero Waste! ONLY 1 AVAILABLE!
Kit includes (clockwise from 12 in photo to left): Tote bag | Kitchen unsponge | Pot scraper | Soap tin (body soap, face soap, shampoo, conditioner) | Bamboo toothbrush | Large mesh veg bag| Medium mesh veg bag | Cotton tea bag | Straw set (bamboo straw, coconut husk cleaner and Cork sleeve) | Bamboo cutlery set with cork holder | Hand soap ( lime, basil and mandarin) | Washing up liquid (wild rhubarb and lemon) | MACK probiotic anti-bacterial spray
= made from recycled materials!
The Waterfront | St Austell Brewery Pubs Voucher:
This is a great opportunity to get your hands on a £50 voucher that can be used at any St Austell managed pub across Devon and Cornwall on food and drinks. Thanks to the team at The Waterfront (which has the best views in our opinion!) | ONLY 1 AVAILABLE!
The Sockists Project | Exclusive BDB Sockist:
The fabulous Sockists Project is, as we speak, creating a handmade BDB exclusive Sockist (an amazing charcter made from repurposed socks) which will have Borrow Don't Buy embroidered on it (this might even become a collectable once we have taken over the world...) | ONLY 1 AVAILABLE! (please note - not suitable for children due to small parts)
Pollenize | Wildflower Seed Packet:
Another thank you to our awesome friends over at Pollenize, who have donated seed packets that you can grab here and help us reach our target! The next best time to sow them is autumn, so get yourself a packet and lets get some seeds in the ground ready for next year!
Photo Credit: Chris Parks Photography
Name Explain | Signed Copy of "The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between: Volume II":
Our very own THINQTANQ celebrity YouTuber and author Patrick Foote who covers all things names, words and language on his channel Name Explain has kindly donated 3 SIGNED copies of his latest book "The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between: Volume II". If you are interested in why we say what we say - then this is perfect for you! | ONLY 3 AVAILABLE!
YOKE THE SALON | Treatment, Cut and Blow-Dry:
The fabulous YOKE hair salon in Royal William Yard have generously donated this amazing opportunity to get your hands on a treatment, cut and blow-dry. Why not Treat yourself and get your feathers fluffed by one of the best stylists in Plymouth (Ducky goes regularly and told us...) | ONLY 1 AVAILABLE!
A HUGE thank you to all of the businesses and organisations that have supported by donating rewards to our campaign!
Check out our FAQ section on our website HERE
Check out our inventory HERE
We will then have more funds to achieve the goals such as more donation stations, and maybe even a space of our very own... This is a collective effort and, the more members we have, the more things we can do together.
If you've already pledged on a reward (thanks!) or can't pledge right now, there are other ways for you to show your support:
TELL THE WORLD! - If you love us then please tell your friends and family and anyone else you know. The more people that know about us the more donations we can get! @borrowdontbuy #borrowdontbuy #BDB
SHARING IS CARING - Crowdfunder suggests that every share on social media will raise around £20. So please share Borrow Don't Buy on your social media networks and help us reach our goal. A personal message will often lead to a donation!
Do you want to help out differently, perhaps you are a business wanting to collaborate in some way? Drop us a message via email or social media:
[email protected] | @borrowdontbuy | https://borrowdontbuy.co.uk/
And follow us on socials to keep up to date with our progress!
This project offers rewards in return for your donation.