STC’s 25 Acts of Kindness for 25 years

As you may have heard, in 2024 we are celebrating our 25^th year in business and wanted to give a little something back. So, we decided it would be a nice idea to complete 25 acts of kindness for local charities and organisations close to our hearts. All the teams across The Somerset Toiletry Co. including our head office, warehouse, The Soap Bar Café and our soap factory will be taking part. We plan to document our journey throughout the year so please revisit this blog for updates. Our progress so far includes:

1. Dog Walking with Mutts with Friends

In January Lisa started walking rescue dogs for Mutts with Friends, a non-profit dog rescue operating in the Chew valley and surrounding areas of Bristol and Bath.

“A lovely feel-good thing to do, meet nice people, get fresh air and exercise all whilst taking in the incredible views over the lakes, I’m hooked!” Lisa Moon, Marketing Manager

Mutts have helped save the lives of hundreds of unwanted and abandoned dogs through rehabilitation and rehoming. They are always on the hunt for volunteers, foster homes and dog walkers. As they rely on volunteers and donations, please visit their website or Facebook page and help us spread the word! 

2. Prickles Hedgehogs Rescue Fundraiser

During February half term The Soap Bar Café held a fundraiser for Prickles Hedgehog Rescue centre in Cheddar. Run by volunteers, Prickles cares for poorly, injured or orphaned hedgehogs and to date they have released over 4,000 back to the wild!

Delicious cupcakes, baked by Jaz were sold with all the proceeds going towards the vital work the rescue provide. A great way to raise awareness of these endangered species, including the raffle, the event raised £282 in total.

3. Donations to Bristol charities

In February Brett, Zantore and Daisy headed into Bristol to donate toiletries to three local charities;

Based in Bedminster, Bristol’s Help The Homeless’ mission is to provide temporary accommodation and support services for people who are homeless while also working to address the root causes of homelessness in Bristol. The iconic Help Bristol’s Homeless Village, features converted shipping containers that offer safe and secure accommodations for those who are sleeping rough. 

All over the world, The Salvation Army offer a range of services to help those experiencing homelessness, supporting people out of rough sleeping and helping them move into safety and accommodation. They provide drop-in services, hot food and essential supplies alongside providing shelter for those in need.

Aid Box Community (ABC) is a Bristol-based humanitarian organisation set up by a group of ordinary people in response to the continuing refugee crisis. They support asylum seekers and refugees with a free shop and welcome hub, activity groups, signposting advice, a crisis fund and a befriending service. 

4. Lizzies Soup Run

At the end of February our incredible baker Jaz from our Soap Bar Café, cooked up 45 hot meals for Lizzie’s Soup Run. Lisa then delivered deliciously hot Macaroni Cheese to some very grateful people on the streets of Bath.

A lovely lady called Liz Davis from Midsomer Norton set up the scheme up during lockdown to support vulnerable people in Bath. It initially started with Liz popping into town each week with family and friends to hand out sandwiches and hot drinks. Now the scheme has over 2,000 supporters and a team of volunteers (on a rota) who distribute food and supplies including warm clothing, toiletries, vouchers, plus Billy Chips and dog food each week. The initiative is run purely on donations and fundraising so please get in touch if you would like to be involved.

5. Anti Banquet Charity Dinner

In February, Sakina attended the Anti Banquet Charity Dinner with our good friends from BillyChip. The evening included music, entertainment and food prepared by a range of fabulous chefs, raising over £100k for food initiatives and charities in Bristol. Sakina thoroughly enjoyed the auction, ‘winning’ various prizes – you might even spot a few new bits of art popping up around our HQ!  

6. Temple Cloud Cricket Team Kit Sponsor 

This year, The Soap Bar Café, located at our headquarters in Clutton, is sponsoring the Temple Cloud Cricket Team‘s Under 11s and Under 13s kits. We take great pride in supporting local sports teams, promoting outdoor activities for children, fostering skill development, and encouraging a healthy dose of fresh air! 

Some more exciting things in the pipeline include a few of the team running the Chew Valley 10k for BillyChip and a 10,000 ft Sky Dive for various charities including Time is Precious, so please watch this space!