Charity begins at… self storage

When it comes to helping charities, self storage companies have an admirable record. Their websites often speak of sponsored walks and all sorts of other fund-raising events performed by staff, usually in aid of local charities. But perhaps their most valued contribution is donating what they have an unusual abundance of ‒ storage space.

The case of Read International

Read International is charity that collects unwanted school books from UK schools, and ships them to Tanzania and Uganda. In this way, children in those countries receive books that their schools could never normally afford.

The charity has bases in 45 universities in the UK, and most of the volunteers are students. Each year they collect large numbers of books. But where can they put them, sort them out, and box them up ready for shipping? Step forward Big Yellow. As Read International gratefully acknowledges, Big Yellow offers them “free storage wherever we need it across the UK”.

Giving space

Space is a valuable commodity ‒ as everyone who hasn’t got enough of it knows. Charities often need space for reasons similar to Read International: to store donations, and to prepare them for sale or for shipping. Several storage companies, including Big Yellow, offered space to charities that were shipping aid ‒ medicines, shelters, beds, food ‒ to Haiti, following the earthquake of January 2010. Many charities also need extra space on a permanent basis because their offices are not large enough to house donations awaiting a fund-raising sale, or exhibition equipment, or files and archives.

The amount of donated space is impressive. Safestore announced in October 2008 that it would put aside a “charity room in every store”. Armadillo Self Storage (now a part of the Big Yellow Group) has donated £2000-worth of space to the St Luke’s Hospice in Sheffield. Easy Access Self Storage in Stockport offers the St Ann’s Hospice free storage space to hold merchandise for the hospice’s shops. The Store Room supports the Yorkshire Air Ambulance by providing free storage for their promotional materials.

Space can also be used to host fund-raising events. New branches of Access Storage set up free Christmas Grottoes in November and December 2009, and donated the proceeds to local charities.

Corporate Social Responsibility

It would be naïve to suggest there isn’t a little bit of self interest in this. Charity work is seldom completely selfless. For many self storage companies, it forms part of their strategy of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This is something that not only makes them feel justifiably good about themselves, but it looks good to their customers as well. Big Yellow, for instance, has a tab on its website marked “Charities”, under which it lists Cancer Research UK, and it also has a Big Yellow Charities Blog.

Big Yellow’s logo also appears among the partners under the “Thank You” tab on Read International’s website. It may play no part in Big Yellow’s motivation, but ‒ who knows? ‒ when the students involved in Read International want to store their possessions for the summer holidays, which self storage company is first going to come to mind? And deservedly so.

2 Responses to “Charity begins at… self storage”

1. Larry says:

   May 4, 2010 at 1:49 pm

   Big Yellow has been a great help to Read International here in Edinburgh. I don’t know what we would do without it!

2. John Lam says:

   February 6, 2016 at 3:54 pm

   We are a group of volunteers that urgently need storage space for clothes and tents in support of people who are fleeing wars.
   Our donations are currently stored at pricate address’s throughout the north east of England and we would appreciate help
   Thank You.