In 2025, my cousin was on holiday in Spain with her young family when a sudden medical emergency turned their world upside down. Overnight, their dream trip became a nightmare, looking for a way back home. Even though she had travel insurance, it didn’t cover everything. Faced with unexpected costs, her friends and family created a JustGiving page. I donated and in that moment, something clicked.

As I went through the donation process, I found myself wishing there was another way I could help. I didn’t have endless funds, but I did have three old phones sitting unused in a drawer. Phones I no longer needed, but that still held value. And then it hit me:

What if people could donate their old devices just as easily as donating money?

Not everyone can spare £5 or £10, but almost all of us have unused spare devices. In fact, the UK alone has over £3 billion worth of unused phones sitting in drawers. That’s potential support, just waiting to be unlocked.

That moment sparked the idea for Recycle Rehome.