Could a Shipping Container help your community?

We love finding out about new and innovative ways that shipping containers have been converted. Examples include pop-up restaurants, outdoor gyms, and many more. We very often look at how shipping containers can help businesses, but we also like to discover how shipping containers can help communities.

Charity Facebook Challenge

Sevenoaks Powerchair Football Club

If you follow us on Facebook then you may be familiar with our monthly Charity Facebook Challenge.  Once a month we offer the chance for a fan of our Facebook page to raise additional cash towards their chosen charity or community cause by offering £1 for every new like on our Facebook page over 72 hours.

Past participants of our Facebook Challenge include Sevenoaks Power Chair Football Club who were raising money for a 20ft container to use as secure storage for their power chairs, and Willderland Farm who wanted to raise funds towards preparing the farm for the reopening following the COVID-19 outbreak ans lockdown.

Shipping Container School Library

When students at Clevedon School in Somerset decided that they needed a new library and creative space, they had the innovative idea of using two shipping containers to create it and the crowdfunded project Project Xenia was born!

The project brief explains that students have “created plans for a space to take on the appearance of a boathouse clad in wood, to embody the theme of journeys, the sea and stories which are at the heart of our seaside town. We have called the project Xenia embodying the Greek Classical code of hospitality and stories.â€

The two shipping containers would be sourced from a local supplier and crowdfund pledges were offered incentives in return for their financial contributions.  The completed library will serve school students in the day and local community groups in the evening.  The funding target has now been met and the project is in its delivery stage, and we can’t wait to see it!

The COVID19 outbreak has meant that schools have had to introduce new social distancing rules into their classrooms and playgrounds.  This has caused many headaches for staff as they have worked to adapt whilst still being able to accommodate all their students.  In many cases this has so far proved impossible and some schools may soon need to find some additional learning spaces.  A shipping container could serve as an ideal classroom, toilet block, office, or even a shipping container school library like Clevedon School are working towards.  If you have any idea for a shipping container project for your school, please do get in touch!

Shipping Container Food Bank

Container delivery to Stratford upon Avon Food Bank

Many UK Food Banks operate from community buildings such as churches and village halls. These venues can become short on storage space – if a food bank is only operational on specific days then keeping the food somewhere secure and accessible can be a challenge. This is where a shipping container food bank can come in very handy indeed!

For a relatively low cost a shipping container can provide an ideal storage option for food banks. Providing there is adequate land which to place the container, it can be put in place quite easily. There is also the option of adding container shelving and lighting, as well as a container lock box to deter potential break-ins. Lock boxes are fitted as standard on One-Trip Containers and as a low cost option on a Used shipping container.

Shipping Containers can also be converted into large refrigerated units to serve as Community Fridges. Community Fridges are becoming more common as communities try to reduce food waste and live more economically. The Gatechurch Community Fridge in Dundee is a shining example of a community fridge which is housed in a very cool (literally!) 10ft shipping container.

Shipping Container Uniform Bank

In March 2019 we supplied a shipping container to a local community project called the SUA Uniform Bank. They accept school uniform donations in their local area to help support children and families in need.

The SUA Uniform Bank needed a new 20ft shipping container for the secure and dry storage of their donated items. The container was generously paid for by Orbit Homes.

This passionate group of volunteers did not stop there! They entered our Facebook Challenge for a discount to fund the insulation of their container and achieved the maximum £200 discount!  Our team enjoyed a day at their site insulating the container to help keep out damp and mildew and protect the clothing inside.

It is a fantastic initiative and we are glad to have been able to support them.

Shipping Container ‘Library of Things’

This is one of our favourite discoveries! A community library of useful items that local people can borrow in return for a small membership fee – items available include tools, gazebos, and carpet cleaners.

The Library of Things started life in a shipping container in Crystal Palace back in 2017. Its immense popularity means it has now outgrown the original premises but it is proof that great community ideas can begin in nothing more than a humble shipping container!

Secure storage for community organisations and sports clubs

Shipping Containers don’t need to be converted to help communities.

Shipping containers offer fantastic value secure weatherproof storage, and we find that local councils, schools, scout and guiding groups, sports clubs, and almost much any community group may want or benefit from having a secure storage container to keep all their gear in.

Our storage containers are all checked over in our UK yards before sale and are sold with our wind and watertight guarantee, giving you the assurance that your container is a good quality one that will last. Our crane equipped delivery truck can deliver and install your container in a matter of minutes, and in the vast majority of cases, a shipping container used for storage will be classed as a temporary structure and be exempt from any planning requirements.

Have you got a burning idea for a community project that you could bring to life in a shipping container?  Containers can be used and adapted in so many ways, and we have a team of specialists who can help bring it to life!

Budgetshippingcontainers.co.uk offer the UK’s largest online range of shipping containers for sale with a nationwide network of storage and conversion yards and crane equipped delivery vehicles.

If you need a shipping container feel free to browse our online range of shipping containers for sale. You can also call us on freephone 0808 1234 215 any time 9am – 5pm weekdays and our team will be happy to discuss your requirements. Alternatively, you can use our online shipping container quote form or request a telephone callback. In both cases we aim to get back to you within 1-2 working hours (may take longer for more detailed quotes).

Back to top