Benthyg - Borrow Don't Buy

Benthyg (meaning borrow or lend) is a movement of people who want to share more and buy less. A 'library of things,' somewhere you can borrow every day items such as lawnmowers, DIY tools and camping equipment that you may not own due to finances or lack of storage space. It's all available to borrow for less than you'd expect to pay second hand, and with the opportunity to pay in time instead of cash.

Co Founders of Benthyg include Ella, Jane & Becky. We caught up with Becky who explains she launched the charity after realising lots of people in Wales were in need of items. Collectively there is so much available in our communities, why not work together and share it out a bit? A culture of resilience and environmental sustainability is being created that brings communities together to share items, knowledge and skills. Most of the 'things' are donated rather than being wasted and sent to landfill so help to save the planet too.

The first Benthyg library opened in east Cardiff in 2017 and was so successful it was handed over to the community there. In 2021 more library's opened across South Wales in Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Monmouthshire, Penarth and Barry. The newest project is a mobile repair and reuse van in Cardiff. There are also pop up libraries available for use who work in partnership with repair cafe Wales. You can get things fixed here for free.

Benthyg is growing and there are future plans for all of Wales to have access to a borrowing platform. Libraries will be digitally linked and you can borrow items wherever you are in Wales.

To find out where your nearest branch is or for more information check out the website : https://www.benthyg-cymru.org/