Every now and then, something really lovely happens that makes you burst with pride: for us, it was consideration in the form of a nomination for the Global Good Awards 2019. Genuinely, simply being shortlisted was enough, but to win GOLD was completely sublime.
Earlier on in the year we identified these awards as an occasion we wanted to be part of. Run as a truly sustainable event, everything about it fitted with Rehome's ethos; rewarding businesses not only for their financial success but also for their contribution to helping to reverse climate change.
A ‘freshly eco’ dress code encouraged guests to dress not only to their best, but with a conscience by choosing to reuse, wear ethically sourced fabrics or source a second-hand outfit. Founder of the event, Karen Sutton, took this to the next level by reusing crisp packets! Collected from her local school, the crisps packets were transformed into a formal dress to highlight the importance of schemes such as the collection and recycling of crisp packets.
With our application shortlisted back in March, we were over the moon. Fantastic recognition in itself. I invited Linda Barker and booked our travel to London for June’s award ceremony. To be honest, we were unsure if we had done enough to win, especially when the shortlist contained many well-known household names such as: WWF, Marks and Spencer, NSPCC and O2.
We duly arrived at BMA House, London (a Green Tourism Gold winning venue located in London’s Tavistock Square) on the evening of June 20th. We wondered what to expect with buzzwords such as: Global Good, sustainable dress code, vegan menu, vegan Prosecco, carbon offsetting all floating around our heads as well as the expected insecurities: Would we be over dressed? Would they ‘get’ us? Would we been ‘green’ enough?
We needn’t have worried. With such a warm, positive reception we quickly relaxed and looked forward to the evening ahead. With vegan beer in hand, we played eco snakes and ladders (a clean air initiative organised by the Mayor of London), ate delicious vegan snacks with produce sourced from local supplier while networking with beautifully spirited people – without sounding too cheesy, you could feel the love in the room! ?
Often when we hear about the damage we have done to the environment on the news it’s so negative, leaving you feeling down and disheartened. There was no room for this with the ‘Global Gooders’. This uplifting gathering of like-minded people gave a positive appreciation that us humans can change the way we do things and filled us with optimism and positive vibes.
We haven’t written this blog to big up our win (although we did win GOLD ?), it’s a message of hope; that everyone can help to make a difference, that we can all work together for Global Good. For each underused kitchen we sell we are saving on average 1.2 tons of landfill, we allow a family of 4 to live carbon neutral for a year and we make it possible for people to afford a quality kitchen without a massive price tag. We have done this all by working together to change the way we think about kitchens, so if you have bought or sold through us, carry on spreading the word! Let’s change the way we think about kitchens!
