Message from Borrow Don't Buy

We are writing to share some difficult news. After over seven years of lending, sharing, repurposing and building community, the Borrow Don't Buy library will be closing its doors on Friday the 27th of March 2026.

 This isn't a decision we've taken lightly. BDB was built on a simple idea: that sharing resources makes sense for people and for the planet. Over the years, thousands of you have borrowed from our library, with every single loan representing a choice to do things differently. We are incredibly proud of what this community built and achieved together.

The honest reality is that in the face of rising costs, unprecedented hardware prices, a deeply challenging economic climate, and an increasingly difficult funding landscape, our current operating model is not financially sustainable in its present form. We have to be straight with you about that rather than struggle on and let people down further along the line.

This has been an incredibly difficult time for the whole team. Every one of them has poured their heart into Borrow Don't Buy, and they will be moving on to look for new opportunities. If you know of anything that might suit passionate, community-minded people, please do keep them in mind.

This is not a closing statement. It is a breathing space. While the library will pause lending and we will scale back on any new commitments, we will continue to fulfil our existing obligations behind the scenes whilst we work on the next chapter.

As many of you may know, our GEO digital inclusion project takes items and refurbishes them to give away to those who don’t have access to the internet. This will be continuing whilst we have devices to give but our pace will be reduced due to the team reduction. If you have a device to donate, or would like to support the project by donating funds for parts needed, then please get in touch. We would love to continue this work into the future but it will rely on us being able to get the funding we so desperately need.

Borrow Don't Buy has proved that a different way of doing things works, and is needed. We have witnessed that given the choice, people will borrow rather than buy, generously donate what they no longer need, support those with a greater need than themselves, and care for our planet. It has demonstrated that communities are strengthened when resources are shared, and that impact does not require excess. None of that changes today.

We want to thank every partner, supporter, volunteer, and borrower who has been part of this journey. Your support has made seven years of real, measurable community impact possible. We have a deep belief that the mission of Borrow Don't Buy is more relevant now than it has ever been, and we look forward to sharing whatever comes next.

With gratitude,

Rob, Esther, Mia, Kira, our amazing volunteers, Sol, Jess and Ducky.

If you would like to donate an item, please send us an email with the details to donations@borrowdontbuy.co.uk

Send us an e-mail: hello@borrowdontbuy.co.uk

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