One good turn is all it takes to help others

GOOD TURN Sophia Crawshaw with her daughter Heather.

After being put off by the high prices at charity shops, she had six friends offering a new jacket for nothing online – and One Good Turn (OGT) was born.

What started out as an online swap-shop has ballooned into a full-blown charity which tackles financial hardship and social isolation in Kirklees.

After launching in Huddersfield, OGT is coming to North Kirklees. Volunteers list their unwanted items, such as clothes or baby equipment, on the OGT Facebook page, other users put their names next to it and a name is drawn from a hat.

OGT hold coffee mornings where the members meet up for a coffee, a chat, and pick up their items. The first North Kirklees coffe morning is at Dewsbury Options Centre, in George Street, on May 8.

OGT also offer a referral service for anyone in genuine need, whether they are employed or not.

This way people who are struggling can benefit from free white goods, furniture, carpets and other larger items.

Dewsbury-born mum of two Sophia said around 2000 people had benefited from the service already. “It started off as swapping but I think its developed because there’s a genuine need for it,” she added.

Sophia and husband Tony now have a small army of volunteers involved in the project. “That’s the beauty of it,” she said. “A lot of the people who benefit from the service then want to give something back. They really take ownership of it.” OGT has raised £41,000 through raffles and evnts since September 2011, which has been ploughed back into growing the charity.

If you want to get involved visit www.freeonegoodturn.com, email [email protected] or join the Facebook group One Good Turn – North Kirklees.