Community and Social Value at Brown Recycling

As a family owned and managed business, we understand the role the communities in which we operate play in our success.  Every year we actively support a wide range of good causes and community initiatives, both directly and through the engagement of our Brown Recycling team.

From kits for local junior football teams, free skips for community projects and fundraising initiatives for men’s mental health, to sponsoring events and providing teams of volunteers for local charity fundraisers, we’re proud to support with our time and resources.

2024 Support

As a business with a high percentage of male employees we set out to raise awareness around men’s health and mental health with the introduction of new support days for our team and local charities. Activity included raising funds for Men’s Mental Health Week in support of MANUP! and growing moustaches and encouraging colleague conversations in support of Movember. These efforts have helped share the message that it’s okay to ask for help.

We also supported national and local initiatives including donating to the Big Sleep Out with Stoke City Community Trust in January, Wear It Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness in October, and fundraising activities for the Gingerbread Centre through Staffs Uni Fundraising in November. Also, we honoured Remembrance Day with the Royal British Legion and contributed to the Children in Need appeal.   We are proud that across the year our team raised a total of £11,000 for these great causes.

The Brown Recycling Skip Art Challenge

In 2024, we launched a unique community and sustainability focused initiative – the Brown Recycling Skip Art Challenge. Developed in partnership with Short Supply, and sponsored by our customers and suppliers, this celebration of artistic expression and environmental sustainability saw eleven talented artists transform ordinary skips into extraordinary works of art.  The completed skips were displayed in the heart of Stoke-on-Trent for a week in early September, giving the public to chance to enjoy the vibrant artwork. A key aspect of the Skip Art Challenge was supporting our long-term charity partner the Dougie Mac Hospice. As the culmination of this unique initiative, we were delighted to present their team with a cheque for a fantastic £7,581.25 raised through the sponsorship and donations.

As Deborah Vickers, Head of Business and Events Fundraising at Dougie Mac Hospice commented:

Brown Recycling provides fantastic support to Dougie Mac, and we’re delighted to have been involved in such an innovative and creative fundraiser. The finished skips looked brilliant, and the artists worked incredibly hard to bring their creations to life. It was wonderful to meet them and learn more about the inspiration behind their designs. Thank you to everyone involved in the Skip Art Challenge for helping raise vital funds for specialist hospice services in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire.”

Local Sport

We were delighted to provide Jolly Carter FC with training tops for all players and management and winter coats for the Cheadle SMU U11s team keeping them warm for the 2024/2025 season.

Coaches, Yohann and Ben commented on the sponsorship:

“Our football team, Cheadle SMU U11, benefits not only from the fantastic coats provided by our sponsor, Brown Recycling, but also from the incredible support we receive from all of you. Your dedication to our team has truly made an impact. Your unwavering support is like a warm hot chocolate on a chilly game day, keeping our young players cozy. They not only look amazing but also feel encouraged in every way.”

Other Community Activity

We also supported various causes throughout the year not only through sponsorship but with free skips for projects. At the beginning of 2024, we assisted the Heritage Restoration Project in support of the Teapot Factory in Middleport, Stoke on Trent. The Teapot Factory brings together like-minded and dedicated individuals to use the foundations of Stoke-on-Trent’s incredible past to understand our identity and reframe it for the future through their tours.

Additionally, we have been providing free skips to the Rehoboth Well CIC centre, who are converting the Swan Pub in Burslem, Stoke on Trent into a community hub. Our support is scheduled to continue throughout 2025.

We continue to be the main sponsors of the Dougie Mac Treecycle, which collects thousands of trees across Staffordshire and Cheshire to support donations to the Dougie Mac Hospice. As well as our sponsorship we provide vehicles, the collection and processing point for the trees and a team of volunteers. In 2024 our team dedicating 50 hours to the Treecycle, helping Dougie Mac raise a fantastic £28,458 in donations.

At Brown Recycling, we remain deeply committed to helping the communities that have supported us for nearly a century. We look forward to continuing our work with local charities, community groups and environmental initiatives in 2025 and beyond.