Frequently Asked Questions

Skiggle is a specialist disability charity and the only charity of its kind in the UK. If youurgently need to get hold of a piece of disability equipment or care consumable, Skiggle isthere to help. Our unique SOS emergency alert service was created specifically to help thedisability community in times of need, and our Marketplace holds thousands of pounds worthof surplus and unused care items ready to give away to people who need them.

Skiggle was founded by Christine Singleton, a mum of three whose eldest, James, isprofoundly disabled, and it became a registered charity in 2019. Christine recognised theneed for a charity like Skiggle when she was away from home and couldn’t source anyspecialist feed for James. You can read her story here.

Skiggle founder, Christine’s son James was born with a catastrophic brain injury (HIE),which resulted in him having quadriplegic spastic cerebral palsy and a host of additionalmedically complex needs. As such, Skiggle exists to support adults and children (and theirfamilies) with all types of disability and special educational needs, and to give them peace ofmind to live their lives to the full knowing there is always someone there to provide help ifand when they need it.

As a registered charity in England & Wales (No.1185108), and Scotland (SC050478),Skiggle is run on a voluntary basis by Christine Singleton. Our emergencySOS alert service is completely free to use but the charity must cover the growing costsassociated with the providing the service. We therefore welcome any donations fromindividuals or corporate partners, grants, and getting involved in fundraising activities toenable us to keep providing our valuable services to the disability and special needscommunities. We also welcome volunteers to help us across all areas of operating a charity.

The Skiggle Marketplace is a strictly regulated space where members can give away any oftheir own surplus, unopened products and items relating to disabilities. Current productsavailable on the Marketplace include catheters, milk feed and other feeding equipment,reusable bottles, ventilator filters and adaptors, nappies and pads, clinical dressings,tracheostomy tubes, brushes and equipment, mobility aids, slide sheets and handling belts,drainage bags, various stoma items, and lots more.

Can anyone access the Skiggle Marketplace?Skiggle’s Marketplace is free for anyone to use. You can use the Marketplace to give awayany unopened, sealed, and unused items or you can search the site for any care product,consumable, or piece of disability equipment you personally need. If you haven’t used theMarketplace before, all you have to do is register as a new user on our website to get started.

The Skiggle Marketplace welcomes any unopened products that healthcare providers will nottake back. However, we are legally bound by pharmaceutical and governance legislation thatprohibits the movement of certain disability-related products, so please check with us if youare unsure. All listings are approved by Skiggle prior to being made available. Here are someexamples of items that you can list:Feeding equipment / Feed / Mobility Aids / Pads / Clinical Dressings / Pull Ups /Tracheostomy equipment / Ventilator connections / Lift slings / Slide sheets / Drainage bags /Stoma bladder / Bladder ittems / Catheters / Reuseable bottles / Flocare bottles / Suction Catheters / Syringes / Tube Rush / Nutricia Giving sets / Abbotts Giving Sets / Abbotts Flexitainer /

The vast majority of products listed on the Skiggle Marketplace have no cost associated withthem. The Skiggle Marketplace is designed to be a place where care products and other itemscan be given away free of charge to those in need within the disability community. However,we appreciate there may be occasions where specific, larger pieces of equipment such aswheelchairs or car seats can be offered for sale and we will review each product on a case-by-case basis. However, to comply with NHS monitoring and specifically the prohibition of theselling of their products, we advise that members do not try to sell any unwanted NHSproducts.

You can give away unopened and unused NHS products via the Skiggle Marketplace but tocomply with NHS monitoring of the selling of their products and their prohibition of it, weencourage our members NOT to sell their unwanted NHS products or profit from them onSkiggle.

Listing an item on the Skiggle Marketplace is really simple. You just need to register on ourwebsite then sign in, go to the Marketplace, and click "Add New Item."

We encourage our members to include at least one good quality image of their Marketplaceitems. Please make sure any photographs you upload are taken by you and are not catalogueimages or taken from elsewhere on the internet.Does Skiggle hold Marketplace products?

Skiggle provides the regulated platform for items to be listed to give away (or sell) but doesnot specifically hold or store any of the products listed. All products listed are stored by theindividual giving away (or selling) each item.

The Skiggle Marketplace is a platform for the direct exchange of surplus or unwanted careitems; a regulated space where members can buy, sell, or give away products to each other.Skiggle does not hold any products and cannot store items for you.

Every product on the Skiggle Marketplace is stored by the individual selling or giving awaytheir items. Skiggle does not take any responsibility for storage and does not have a storagefacility for any products.

Each individual is responsible for sending their Marketplace products to the recipients. Youcan choose to send your items via a postal or courier service or, if you are meeting in person,we advise all parties involved to meet in a well-lit, public place, such as a supermarket, if it ispractical to do so and always make sure someone else knows where you are or accompaniesyou.

Although the vast majority of products on the Skiggle Marketplace are given away free ofcharge, there is also a demand for larger, specific items. Therefore, you can advertise itemson the Skiggle Marketplace that you have previously purchased and no longer need. Pleasedo make sure any product photographs uploaded to the Skiggle Marketplace are taken by youand not catalogue images.

An SOS is a message sent from app.skiggle.co.uk asking for emergency help in sourcingdisability care-based essentials or vital items of disability equipment. You send your urgentrequest (SOS) and using specialist technology, we will filter it out to the Skiggle member(s)closest to you geographically to come to your aid. Skiggle is a rescue service for the disabledworld – finding people to help you in those unforeseen moments of need.

An emergency SOS can be sent 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year and can beused when item(s) are required as a matter of urgency. You could be at home, on holiday oreven on a day out. Whenever your daily routine will be seriously affected by a missing,damaged, or forgotten essential, just send an SOS and we'll endeavour to match you with thenearest Skiggle member who can help.

Sending an emergency SOS alert is really easy. Just register on our website then sign in andclick SOS. You will be prompted to select the maximum distance you are willing to travelfrom your current location and to enter as much detailed information as possible on the itemyou need. It’s as simple as that.

(You can read more about how to send an SOS via our 6 Step Guide)

Depending on your preferences when you originally signed up, we will automatically includeyour contact details (email and/or phone) and try to match your request with the closestSkiggle member who can help.

When sending or responding to an SOS we advise that the disclosure and sharing ofpersonal information be kept to a minimum. Share only details vital to the item you need,and make sure you feel safe with any subsequent arrangements for meeting up.

The location for the exchange of SOS items will be individually tailored to each request andunique to individual circumstances. We advise all parties involved to take measures to ensurethey feel safe, such as meeting in a well-lit, public place; like a supermarket, if it is practicalto do so and always make sure someone else knows where you are or accompanies you.

When you send an emergency SOS, we will always endeavour to match you with a Skigglemember nearby who can help, and the vast majority of emergency SOS alerts are fulfilled.However, it is possible that your SOS may not be answered. If this is the case, it may bebecause: The item you need is not stocked by registered Skiggle member within thegeographical area you have specified. The registered Skiggle members within the geographical area you have specified donot have the particular item or any spare items to offer you. There are no Skiggle members within the geographical area you have specified.If any of the above reasons are identified, we recommend widening your travel parametersand posting a new SOS. Although Skiggle is a growing disability charity, we are still onlyable to reach just over 7,000 people around the UK – less than 1 per cent of the disabledpopulation. Our mission at Skiggle is to grow the charity to a level firstly where help isalways going to be available in every county in the UK and then ultimately to never be anymore than 10 miles away when needed – regardless of where in the country you may be.Your generous donations and support will help us make this possible.

We are working hard at the charity to create a footprint that covers all areas of the UK withour overall aim being to make sure help is never more than 10 miles away when needed. We

are always grateful for any help you can give us to raise awareness of Skiggle and grow ourmembership in your local area. The list below highlights some organisations and individualsthat might benefit from Skiggle’s services. If you can promote the work of our smalldisability charity and would like further information or support, please get in touch. SEND schools and colleges Respite centres Day-care centres Nurseries Schools and colleges Playgroups Care homes Mobility centres Holiday homes and caravan parks

We are working to create a network that covers all areas of the UK and would be grateful for any help you can give us to grow membership in your local area. Here are some organisations and individuals that might benefit from Skiggle. If you would like to promote our work and need further information or support from us please get in touch.

• Tell your friends about us
• SEND schools and collages
• Respite centres
• Daycare centres
• Nurseries
• Schools and collages
• Playgroups
• Care homes
• Mobility Centres
• Holiday homes and caravan parks

Can I send an SOS on Facebook?The Skiggle emergency SOS service is only available through our website. To connect to ourUK network of registered members; individuals, carers and families please go to:app.skiggle.co.uk/sos/create

Buying, selling, or giving away disability care consumables and equipment can only becarried out via the Skiggle Marketplace on our website. If you are looking for something inparticular or have surplus stock to give away, please visit our Marketplace where theexchange of items is strictly regulated: app.skiggle.co.uk/marketplace

The Skiggle Facebook group is a safe place for individuals, carers, and families of peoplewith disabilities and special needs to share stories, news, updates, and special moments or tofind someone to put a virtual arm around your shoulders when you’re having a tough day. Inour forums you’ll find like-minded people experiencing similar day to day issues, challenges,and achievements. Sign up as a member on our website and then check out our page here.

Yes please! We would love to discuss having you on the team. In our experience, peoplevolunteer with Skiggle for many different reasons. Some tell us they volunteered to meet newpeople, others wanted to gain skills or experience. We welcome people from across the UKwho are looking for ways to volunteer in their own local communities. From organisingfundraising events and activities and raising local awareness of Skiggle to helping to supportthe ongoing running and growth of the charity, there’s lots to get involved with. Whether youcan spare a couple of hours here and there, or have several hours a week to offer, we wouldlove to hear from you. Please get in touch.

Yes definitely! We would love to hear from anyone interested in volunteering with Skiggle,

including anyone living with a disability or with special educational needs. Please get intouch.