Corporate teams, care sector professionals and local volunteers join forces to refurbish 100s of NHS mattresses in one day to support sustainability and social impact in care.
Over 80 volunteers came together on 21st October at the Grace Cares Hub in Lichfield for a Mass Volunteer Day like no other, refurbishing hundreds of hybrid airflow mattresses donated by the NHS to prevent vital medical equipment from going to landfill.
The day saw teams from across the community – including Crown Highways, Access Bookings, Oakland International, and Attis Care Insurance Brokers – working side by side with care professionals and volunteers to check, test and prepare the mattresses for reuse in care settings.
Each refurbished mattress, originally designed for high-risk patients, will be quality-checked and resold to care homes for just £199 each, with discounts available for bulk orders – enabling care providers to access high-quality equipment at a bargain price while supporting social impact. Every sale will come with an impact report detailing the carbon saved and social value delivered, providing evidence care providers can keep for their ESG records and CQC regulatory submissions.
The proceeds from mattress sales will cover a full year’s rent for the Grace Cares Hub and help the organisation expand its sustainability work and community support for older people and unpaid caregivers across the country.
Support from Direct Health Care Group, the mattress manufacturer, has been “a godsend,” said Emma Smith, Co-founder of Grace Cares. “Their expertise and generosity made this possible. Together with Oakland International’s incredible logistics support and our fantastic corporate partners, we’ve shown what collaboration in care truly looks like.”
The event highlighted the organisation’s wider mission – to make care sustainable through equipment reuse, environmental action, and community reinvestment. Since launching in 2023, Grace Cares has saved over 3,000 pieces of care equipment from landfill and supported more than 2,500 people through its social and environmental programmes.
“This is what the future of social care looks like,” added Hannah Montgomery, Sustainability Lead and Co-Founder at Grace Cares. “It’s about reducing waste, protecting our planet, and supporting people at the same time. Every mattress refurbished represents lives touched, emissions saved, and communities strengthened.”
