A FREESHOP is a community shop where people can come together to support one another ...
Fighting back against Cost of Living Crisis
A FREESHOP is a shop which is stocked with donations from the community. People clearing out cupboards and lofts bring items to the shop. Volunteers sort through donations and arrange them in a shop format.
Anyone who is struggling can visit the FREESHOP and take as much as they need (the only rule is no re-selling)
Run by volunteers
A FREESHOP brings the community together to help one another. Surplus items donated by shops / factories / businesses and individuals are available for anyone who needs them. The shop is open everyday of the year for the community and is run by the community
Volunteers at the FREESHOP report that by volunteering , feeling proud of themselves and their community they report an increase in 70% in their mental health and well being (2023 Impact Study Maya’s Community Support Centre).
How is it sustainable ?
The CIC operating the FREESHOP will apply for charity / council / government grants. However the beauty of the FREESHOP is it is mostly funded by the community. A £1 entry system (with pay it forward tickets for those who don’t have £1) funds the rent and running costs of the shop.
It is truly a community shop , funded by the community, manned by the community with a purpose to serve those most in need.
A FREESHOP is a pre-recycling centre
Many traditional charity shops will have strict exclusions as to what they can and can’t take. Over time this led to an increase in items being taken to landfill. A FREESHOP accepts all items (excluding car seats and knives). Items not suitable for re-use are sold for rags.
Our model is based on the proven, award-winning approach of Maya’s Community CIC, whose directors are supporting us with systems and procedures. Their recent impact study shows they supported over 116,000 people in 12 months, generated £2.1 million in social value, and diverted over 10,000 tonnes of CO₂ from landfill.
Items not going to landfill , not being needed to be re-manufactured and shipped half way round the world saves CO2
Why Ashford ?
In 2025, Ashford was shown on the government published index of deprivation to be more deprived Overall (IMD) than 55% of local authority districts. In 2019 this figure was 52%; in 2015 it was 47%; in 2010, 42%; in 2007 36% and in 2004 33%. This means that in the past ten years Ashford has declined from 3 percent better than average when compare to other local authorities and is now 5 percent below average, and over the last twenty years has sunk from 13 percent better than average
Deprivation Index
Ashford district is in the 5th decile of deprivation nationally, ranked 139th out of 296 local authorities.
Quotes from FREESHOP Users
All quotes were taken from service users during Maya’s Community Support Centre’s 2025 Impact study
Visiting Maya’s Free Shop restores my faith in humanity
I don’t know what I’d do without this place, it’s a god send
It’s a lifeline and makes a huge difference to the kids
Visiting Maya’s Free Shop restores my faith in humanity
This place has given me a new lease of life – excellent people
Would you like to know more
Please follow us on Facebook to see how the Journey of the Ashford FREESHOP unravels. If you would like to subscribe to our news letter please submit your email address below
See an example of a running FREESHOP
This short video shows Maya’s Community Support Centre (established in 2022) in Herne Bay in Kent.