About CommuniTie
Built by people who understand the problem
Because we've lived it from every side.
Bryn Powell
Bedford-Based Entrepreneur
Trustee & General Manager, Miricyl
I'm a small business owner
Like many of you, I run a small business in Bedford. And like many of you, I regularly get asked to support local schools, charities, and PTAs. Sometimes it's a request for classroom supplies. Sometimes they need equipment or furniture. Each time, I want to help, genuinely. But saying yes to everyone simply isn't possible.
The hardest part? There was no good system for managing it. No way to track what I'd donated for tax purposes. No visibility into whether my contribution was even acknowledged publicly. Just scattered emails, awkward conversations, and the nagging feeling that I could be doing more, or at least doing it better.
I'm also a charity trustee
My BSc in Environmental Science first introduced me to CSR, sustainability and Social Value, concepts that stuck with me. As Trustee and General Manager of Miricyl (opens in a new tab), a Scottish-based charity, I've sat on the other side of the table. I've watched volunteers spend hours drafting emails to local businesses, hoping for donations. I've seen the disappointment when most requests go unanswered. I've felt the pressure to raise funds while keeping costs low.
And here's the thing: both sides want to help each other. Businesses genuinely want to support their communities. Schools and charities desperately need those donations. But the system connecting them was broken, inefficient, awkward, and often fruitless.
Zac West
Special Needs Teacher & Entrepreneur
Rivertree Free School (SEN), Kempston
I've lived the funding gap
After over a decade in the classroom, I've seen firsthand how school budgets get stretched to breaking point. At Rivertree Free School, a special needs school in Kempston, the funding gap hits even harder. These pupils need specialist equipment, sensory resources, and one-to-one support that mainstream budgets simply don't cover. I watch teachers dip into their own pockets for supplies, and PTAs work tirelessly just to fund the basics.
I understand both sides
But I've also been on the other side. As a small business owner in landscape gardening, and before that as an Area Sales Manager at Hansgrohe, I understand what businesses need too. They want to help local schools, but they need it to be simple, tax-efficient, and worth their time.
So we built CommuniTie
We built CommuniTie because we've lived the pain points on every side. As teachers watching school budgets evaporate. As business owners fielding constant requests with no easy way to say yes. As charity volunteers sending hundreds of emails into the void, hoping someone will respond.
CommuniTie brings two ways to help together: surplus goods your business no longer needs, and an essentials wishlist where schools can ask for exactly what they need. One platform, two ways to give.
What makes it different
Built to solve real problems
Because it was built by someone who understands both sides
For businesses
- Two ways to give: donate surplus goods or fulfil a school wishlist
- Choose which causes to support. Say yes on your terms
- Automatic tax receipts and VAT documentation for every donation
- Recognition: a CommuniTie social post for your gift, your flag on the giving board and thank-yous schools are encouraged to share
- Track your community impact for CSR and Social Value reporting
For schools & charities
- Browse surplus goods or post your essentials wishlist
- Request what you need in a few clicks. No more begging emails
- Completely free to use, forever
- Easy tools to share appreciation if you choose to
- Build lasting relationships with generous local businesses
The core exchange
CommuniTie works because it's a fair exchange
Businesses give
Surplus stock or school wishlist items
With full VAT and tax documentation for every donation
Schools & charities give
Thank-yous, strongly encouraged and shared when they choose
Seen by parents and local supporters
CommuniTie adds its own social post for every gift and raises your flag on the giving board.
Both sides win. The community wins. That's what I built CommuniTie to deliver.
Ready to join?
Businesses wanting to give back and schools looking for support both find CommuniTie simple to use.