Fife, June 2026 – Reusing IT is part of a team that has just turned a local charity funding application into a higher-value outcome for all parties, thanks to the power of reuse and partnerships.
Earlier this year, one of our valued donor partners, the University of St Andrews, received an application for a grant from their Community Fund, from Cupar Heritage. Cupar Museum and Heritage Centre is custodian of a large collection of historic photographs and documents, and good IT is essential for managing their collections and planning exhibitions. They applied for just over £1000 in order to purchase a replacement PC and peripherals for use by the volunteers in the museum.
With the Community Fund oversubscribed and stretched to the limit, but keen to help the museum nonetheless, Head of Community Engagement and Social Responsibility Lesley Caldwell, spotted an opportunity: instead of awarding the £1000, she referred the request to Reusing IT.
Lesley realised that it would be more effective for Reusing IT to supply the equipment direct to the museum, rather than awarding them the cash to purchase a new machine.
She was correct. Reusing IT were able to supply the museum, at no cost, a refurbished machine of exactly the spec required, which was a machine that had been donated by the University of St Andrews in the first place.
This is a hugely satisfying example of the value of networking and partnerships in the reuse economy, which delivered a result much better than the original funding application.
The St Andrews Community Fund was able to spend that award money on another cause instead, making their fund go further and to benefit more organisations in the local area; Cupar Heritage received not only the equipment they needed, but had it set up and installed with warranty and the friendly customer service that is standard with a Reusing IT installation; and Reusing IT passed on a refurbished machine that was saved from landfill.
The computer is up and running and currently being used to create the museum’s upcoming exhibition about James Wilson, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. James Wilson was born at a farm near Cupar and emigrated to America in 1766, going on to be very influential and a signatory of the Declaration of Independence in1776.
We’re delighted to have directly contributed to the custodianship of such records!