More than 5,000 part of Hucknall Facebook group to pass on unwanted items - from clothes to furniture - to those in need for free

Pay It Forward – Hucknall and Surrounding Areas, was started by local woman Natalie Randall, along with Cara Orton and Gemma Webb, as a means for people to pass on anything they didn’t need any more to a person or family that did.

The aim is to help people to save on the costs of buying things like new toys, household items, equipment, clothing, food or any item they might need.

Natalie said: “I got the inspiration for this from an identical group from another area and I’ve now had people asking me to help them set up their own group in other areas.

"We started the Hucknall group at the end of 2019 and then almost at once the pandemic hit and people needed us straight away and we grew really quickly.

"And straight from the pandemic, we’ve gone into the cost of living crisis so we’re still being needed more than ever.

"We just put so much stuff in the bin and go out and buy new things when realistically, a second-hand item would be just as good.

“So many people have messaged me to thank us for them being able to get an item they needed from our site and it’s nice to help make difference really because, let’s be honest, we’re all struggling with something or another, it’s just nice to be useful.

"And seeing more than 5,000 members of the page shows the community wants to help each other and we get people from all across the county coming on to it.

"The group is especially good for families, if you think about how many things you only use for a short time like baby car seats.

"The item still has much more life in it than you’ve needed it for, so it makes sense to pass it on and let someone else get use from it.”

The group is also strictly about giving items rather than cash.

Natalie said: “We had one person offer another some money on the site, all with good intentions, but that then leaves us open to potential scammers, I feel, so we had to tell them no.

"This is about giving and reusing objects and items for free, not exchanging money."