New Pick ‘n’ Wickes Initiative Supports Community Projects in Letchworth
With more people looking for ways to cut costs and reduce waste, Wickes has partnered with Letchworth Garden Shed, a local branch of the UK’s growing Library of Things initiatives, to launch Pick ‘n’ Wickes. The new trial scheme now provides community groups and local charities with everyday Wickes DIY essentials that can’t be borrowed, helping them take on projects more easily when borrowing tools from the library.
Pictured left: Andy McLean, Founding Member of Garden Shed Letchworth. Pictured right: Jordan Bendon, Store Manager at Wickes Letchworth.
Originally an idea from the USA, there are now multiple Libraries of Things operating in the UK. These initiatives allow communities to borrow the items they need, whether that’s DIY and gardening tools, camping gear, sewing machines, or even a pizza oven, and simply return them when they’re done. Each library’s collection is unique, tailored to the needs of its local community.
To encourage a more resourceful approach to home improvement that also helps the community save money, the Wickes Community Programme has donated a wide range of practical essentials to support Letchworth Garden Shed, a local branch of the Library of Things. These include nails, plugs, nuts and bolts, brackets, washers, jigsaw blades, PPE, staples, sanding sheets, wood screws, mixed screw sets, and storage boxes to help keep everything organised.
The Wickes Community Programme is a donation fund open to community groups looking to improve and maintain local projects. That’s why Wickes has partnered with Letchworth Garden Shed, a not-for-profit organisation, to help even more local groups and charities in the area.
Until recently, the Letchworth Garden Shed team personally funded essential DIY supplies for their members. The new Pick ‘n’ Wickes initiative now offers these materials free to Garden Shed members, ensuring community groups, local residents, and charities have the support they need to borrow tools and complete their projects.
"We’re properly excited to add Pick ‘n’ Wickes to our Library of Things, and not just because team Shed loves a good pun! This is a really amazing way to grow the kit we provide for our community - pop by to borrow a drill or a strimmer, and then you can pick up the screws or goggles you need while you’re in. Huge thanks and hats off to The Wickes Community Programme for partnering up with us and bringing all these useful bits and bobs to our members for their DIY and home projects. The Shed is all about sharing as a community, so if you’ve got a neighbourhood project on the go, give us a shout - we’d love to get involved."
Andy McLean Letchworth Garden Shed Founding Member
"We’re really proud to support a project that makes DIY even more accessible for local community groups. The Letchworth Library of Things is a brilliant resource, and it’s great to see communities coming together to share tools. We’re glad we could play a small part by donating the everyday essentials that help make these projects possible."
Hannah Randle Hockin Community Engagement Manager at Wickes
Notes to editor
The Wickes Community Programme has supported over 4,500 charities and projects since it launched and is looking for more to support. They have a product donation fund of £300,000 to support charities and community organisations. Applications can be made via the Wickes website.
For more information contact the Wickes Community Programme press office:
E-mail: communityprogramme@wickes.co.uk
Tel: 07771 897751 or visit: wickes.co.uk
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About Wickes
Wickes is a digitally-led, service-enabled home improvement retailer. With an extensive range of products and DIY brands, a Kitchen and bathroom design and installation service and a loyalty scheme for local trade, Wickes is the perfect partner to help with both small and large-scale projects. With 230 stores across the UK and an extended range online, it has everything customers need, whether an amateur DIY-er or trade professional.
Our Responsible Business Strategy, ‘Built to Last’, is focused on three pillars - People, Environment and Homes. We are building a business we are proud of, where all our colleagues can feel at home and are empowered to support their communities and customers; we’re supporting the fight against climate change and taking action to protect the natural environment; and we’re helping the nation make their homes more sustainable.
Our Wickes Community Programme comes under our People pillar and aims to support local community groups and charity organisations by providing relevant products to help them with essential maintenance, renovation or to complete new projects. Wickes prides itself on being a part of its local communities and is always looking at ways to make a material difference in the community.