Impact Report 2024
Make Do and Grow is a not-for-profit social enterprise focused on making a positive difference for families in Govan and beyond across Greater Glasgow.
We run three main services, six days a week at two different locations:
Community Children's Shop (preloved)
The Toy Library
Creative Reuse Arts Workshops
Our reuse and recycle ethos is tied into all our services from quality preloved donations in the shop to shared resources on The Toy Library. The organisation is working hard at the Net Zero target: from plastic free packaging, pricing and hangers to an ethical carbon neutral water supplier and renewable energy electricity supplier, reclaimed wood shelving, upcycled furniture fittings, hand crafted window displays and recycled plastic storage crates.
12,450
preloved items rehomed and diverted from landfill.
1,623kg
of rag and shoes recycled (unable to clean or mend).
355
items of free sports kit, trainers and school uniforms distributed to local families through 4 pop ups, to enable local children to participate and learn safely with their peers.
30
hours of stay and play sessions, Pokémon battles and brick building, connecting families (39 parents/ carers and 52 children) through play.
170+
hours of creative reuse sessions and community events delivered with 14 partners, right across the city, making art and enabling play with over 2000 children.
142
families (189 young people) accessing the toy library and borrowing 997 toys, games, consoles and sports equipment from birth to adult, throughout the year. (Almost 200 on loan at any one time).
And families have told us that all this activity has the following impact:
Increased
Wellbeing
Increased Access to Resources
Reduced Impact of Financial Hardship
Increased Skills and Confidence
Reduced Inequality
80%
of families say they have saved money through our shop services.
50%
of shop visitors say they have been made aware of other partner services and resources locally.
90%
of toy library members said that the library had a positive impact on their family life, finances and mental health.
90%
of the young people attending the after school art clubs said their wellbeing was improved through attendance at the clubs.
As a Community Interest Company (CIC), we earn part of our income by selling products and services, along with receiving external funding.
As a CIC, all our assets are locked, meaning they can only be used for our aims and cannot be sold off for profit. We don't have shareholders, so there are no dividends to pay out. This setup makes sure that every pound we earn or receive goes directly into our community programs and services. Our main financial goal is to cover our yearly operating costs, whilst ensuring we reach our three key aims: supporting growing families, fostering creativity, and encouraging the reuse of resources.
To keep these services running smoothly, we need a lot of resources, mainly people and space. Staffing and facilities are our biggest costs. By hiring local staff, we help the local economy and build skills and experience in the community. We are committed to fair work and fair wages, with our highest-paid staff member earning just 1.5 times more than our lowest-paid staff member and all paid staff are on a minimum of Living Wage Scotland.
As an organisation we are working to increase our income from sales, to reduce our need for external funding. This approach helps us become more financially sustainable, ensuring that our services can continue to benefit families in the community for many years to come.
Here is how we generated income last year and how we spent it:
Income
Grants/Funding
Children’s Shop and eBay Sales
Art Workshop Services
Toy Library Memberships
Donations
Expenditure
People (staff and volunteer costs including tax, pensions and training)
Places (rent, amenities, fixtures, maintenance, waste disposal and rates)
Professional Fees (HR support, accountancy, insurance, third sector memberships and PVG registrations)
Materials
Other project costs (e.g. travel)
We hope you enjoyed our Impact Report 2024. There’s no denying that we have had a sustainable and positive impact on the local community in the last year. Why not help us expand on our considerable and necessary work by: