As the impacts of COVID-19 continue to be felt across the UK, charities everywhere are struggling to cope. But this might be hitting the smallest hardest - as the smaller, more specialist local charities and community groups are faced with providing ever greater local support to their local communities.

These groups, already operating hand-to-mouth pre-COVID-19, are now dealing with even more challenges, including raising money in a cash-strapped economy.

That’s why the UK’s number one gift-card exchange, Cardyard, is targeting their national fundraising efforts at supporting small local organisations at a grassroots level, right across the nation.

One of the main problems with very small local groups is that they often don’t have the finances or the resources to set up their own digital presence. And at a time like this, where vulnerable people urgently need local help, but may be sheltering, and need to find support without leaving the safety of their own homes, a digital presence is essential.

aDoddle’s map platform connects UK Charities, Community projects, groups and organisations, with the very people they help. Meaning that people can find their local support group easily, even if that support group doesn’t have a website of its own.

It is time-consuming and expensive work to build a national network of maps, including researching and reaching out to even the tiniest groups. But it has never been more essential. And that’s why the UK’s number one gift-card exchange platform, Cardyard, is encouraging people to donate unwanted gift-cards to help aDoddle continue to build their local map networks of very local organisations.

With over £300 Million* of gift cards going to waste each year in the UK alone, this seems like a perfect solution. Now people can choose to donate, switch or sell their gift cards on the Cardyard platform, recapturing money that would have simply disappeared otherwise.

Now, with this new partnership, customers will have the additional option to donate their all or part of their gift card to support aDoddle.

Mike Hayman, CEO of Cardyard said: “COVID-19 has doubly-hit smaller community groups, so it’s never felt more important to support all our local communities by giving back. The Cardyard market is national, so we decided to work in partnership with an organisation that appeals to our customers wherever they are in the UK”

Jaki King, Founder of aDoddle and award-winning social enterprise If Everyone Cares CIC (IEC) commented: “It’s phenomenal to have been approached by an organisation like Cardyard. Every giftcard donated will help us to support and raise the profile of all the charities that are on the map and in turn that will help those that need help or want to help to find them.”

For more information please visit:

https://www.cardyard.co.uk/howto/donate

www.adoddle.org

Background - Cardyard

In 2014, Mike Hayman needed to sell some unwanted eVouchers, but there was no safe way to do so in the UK. Fast forward 6 years, Cardyard is the only gift card exchange in the UK, processing thousands of gift cards a week worth millions of pounds a year.

Mike is a technology entrepreneur who stays the course, having spent 20 years building data analytics company Blueprint Management Systems before selling to itelligence in 2012 for an undisclosed 7 figure sum.

Cardyard now provides Mike with plenty of challenges including anti-fraud, cyber security, value pricing, and customer services.

"A large portion of the population holds unwanted gift cards and want to trade them before they expire. Another group of people want to save money and are prepared to pay up front for free cash. Cardyard enables both groups to get what they want in a safe environment. Technology makes it easier to trade online all the time, but it also allows threats to emerge, and that’s why its so important to have a trusted and secure service we can offer the public."

Cardyard works on mobile, PC and iPad, and was developed over 5 years using specialist technology including high level encryption and anti-fraud algorithms. Development work continues to keep pace with technological improvements and commercial opportunities.

* https://www.cardyard.co.uk/blog/giftcard-statistics for gift card statistics.

Background - aDoddle

aDoddle’s founder, Jaki King, witnessed, both personally and professionally, the direct impact of ‘Information Poverty’ on people’s lives when they were unable to easily find help/support when they needed it most.

She heard stories that left her struggling to sleep. To her it seemed incredible that in a world where technology can help you find a restaurant or pub virtually anywhere in the world why was it so hard to find the places where people could access help and support, find opportunities to volunteer or places to connect with others in their community.
Along with a small group of amazing volunteers, they have worked tirelessly to get aDoddle.org to where it is today.

Over 1,300+ charities and community organisations have already added their profiles to aDoddle. Feedback and research has now led to the development & launch of area-based connected community maps.

Along their journey aDoddle has received a number of awards including:

• Named on the UK’s Digital Leaders 100 list for potential social impact
• Given a ‘Points of Light’ award from the Prime Minister
• Voted 3rd, by the public, in the Global Sir Richard Branson & Virgin Unite Challenge to Screw Business as Usual

All of this was achieved with seed funding of under £18,000 and a £2,000 prize.