Happy Handbag scheme
Our aim is to provide a handbag to ladies in times of extreme hardship or homelessness in the Gloucester/Bristol/Swindon areas.
Happy Handbag is a private, not for profit, charitable scheme I set up to provide handbags, containing ladies personal hygiene items, to women in times of great hardship and/or homelessness. The majority of handbags donated are filled and given directly local service providers to give to any of their clients in a crisis situation.
Some donated handbags are sold as they are not suitable to be handed out to clients, being high-end bags which could then make that lady a target for the theft of the handbag. These handbags we try to sell to raise funds for products for the other bags. The sale of 1 bag could raise enough money to fill 2 others.
Many other useful household items are donated too, including baby equipment, these also being given to service providers for distribution to those who may need them. These are referred to as ‘Happy’s’
Pre COVID – a total of 2,040 Happy Handbags plus 1,016 ‘Happy’s’ had been given out.
Objectives
To receive donations of a handbag, initially for ladies, containing everyday essential hygiene products
To identify genuine outlets in Bristol/Gloucester/Swindon for these bags to be distributed to those in need
To set up a supply link of donations via word of mouth and Facebook
To expand donations received to include clothing in a Happy Bag
To set up drop off points for donated handbags – IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A COLLECTION POINT PLEASE MESSAGE BELOW!
How the scheme works:
A person has a handbag that is no longer in use
The person puts lady related personal items into the handbag and contacts Happy Handbag – contact form below
If this is not possible then why not do a local collection to make it feasible for Happy Handbag to collect direct?
The handbag is checked, with additional items being added if necessary, then given to a legitimate, approved Service Provider
The donations log page is updated
Points to note:
All handbags donated will be distributed through a legitimate, recognized organization
It is hoped that the handbag contents will be donated by the handbag donor
Donations of product to fill the handbags are gratefully received – we have hundreds of bags waiting to be filled!
Happy Handbag is now at a stage where funding is required for running costs and for purchasing items to fill handbags that are donated without contents
We have introduced a system whereby empty handbags donate – if a high end brand – may be sold on to gain funds for the scheme.
This scheme has been expanded to include Happy Bag for all.
For more details, or if you would like to make a monitory donation please use the contact form below
PLEASE BE AWARE, WE ARE NOT A BIG ORGANISATION, just me with couple of helpers.