Marmalade Fund
*The video was created by local art student, Freya, when we were still known as Shed 1 Gin. So, our name's out of date, but we love it so much we can't bring ourselves to change it!
Trying to make a difference, one citrus fruit at a time!
At the beginning of Shed One Distillery, we realised we were going to have a lot of spare citrus fruit as we use fresh zest in our gins. So, Zoe started making Gin Jelly Marmalade and we would ask for donations. We realised this would be a great way to raise money for charity, and so those donations went into our Marmalade Fund. We then started our Bottle Return scheme. People returned their empty bottles to us, and in return we added a few pence to our fund. Not only is this a fab way to raise money for charity, but also means our bottles get reused - a tick for the environment. The money from the Marmalade Fund is then donated to charities each year. Now, due to its great success, we sell our Marmalade as one of Shed One's official products and we put £2 from each jar we sell into the Marmalade Fund. We have continued our Bottle Return scheme and for every small bottle and full sized marmalade jar you return, we'll give 10p to charity. For every large bottle, we donate 20p to charity. Continuing our vision to find a practical way to raise money for charity, part of each sale from our Ulverston Gin and some of our limited edition spirits are also added to the fund.
Since launching our Marmalade Fund we have donated over £18,500 to charity. That's a lot of Marmalade!
2025
Furness Homeless Support Group has been our charity partner for 6 years.
Thank you for helping us raise £800 + a £300.00 shop for Furness Homeless Support in 2025. As always, we asked for donations to Furness Homeless Support from the talks we give to WI and others which added up to over £150.00. FHS has been our charity partner for 6 years.
Ford Park (a charity/community enterprise), Ulverston, was given £250.00 through the continued sales of our “Quince, Pear & Sage” Botanical Vodka. All the ingredients are grown in their walled garden.
Raffle donations of bottles and experiences added up again for St Mary's Hospice with several different groups and individuals raising money for this very special place. Other donations were donated to Holly Bank Residential Home in Arnside, Great North West Ambulance Service, UK Sepsis, CancerCare, Every Life Matters, and many more.
2024
We continued our partnership with Furness Homeless Support Group.
Thank you for helping us raise £1,000 + a £300.00 shop for Furness Homeless Support in 2024. Plus, extra donations from talks we have given to the WI & Rotary. FHS has been our charity partner for 5 years.
In 2024, we’ve also raised money for Ford Park, Ulverston, through sales of our “Quince, Pear & Sage” Botanical Vodka. All the ingredients are grown in their walled garden. This is an ongoing Shed One Spirit. Many people don’t realise that Ford Park is a charity.
Our limited edition “Spirit of Cumbria” Botanical Vodka was created by the team at Cumbria Tourism and ourselves. Part of each sale went to their chosen charity. We’ve got one bottle left at Shed One!
“In The Rough” was created using foraged botanicals from Ulverston Golf Club. You can still purchase from us and the club, and that supports their charity.
Plus, we donated bottles and tours for various charity raffles raising money for, among others, St Mary's Hospice, CancerCare, CRY, CALM, NorthWest Air Ambulance, The TaTa Foundation, VisionSupportBarrow, Schools & Community Groups. We also held a Pamper Afternoon for Autus Cumbria with Cocktails, Sconapes and MYOScrubs and Balms.
From 2020 until 2023 our charity partners were Furness Homeless Support Group & Cumbria Action for Sustainability.
Furness Homeless Support Group was launched as a Christmas Shelter in 1989. Nowadays, they offer supported accommodation to single homeless people. Their current facilities include 9 single rooms of supported accommodation, a newly re-furbished 1 bed ground floor flat, a day centre (open Monday-Friday for drop in and midday meals), a Charity Shop and they continue to run their Christmas Shelter.
Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS ) is an award winning charity which has been tackling climate change for 20 years. Their vision is a zero carbon Cumbria, one in which we all have a better way of life in balance with our environment. They help communities across Cumbria to live and work more sustainably – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in ways which also improve people’s quality of life. In addition, they help Cumbrians cope with the devastating impacts of increased rainfall and flooding caused by climate change and which disproportionately affects the most vulnerable. They do all this by sharing their practical experience, knowledge and skills, and creating, supporting and influencing networks.
2023
2023 was a challenging year for many businesses, ourselves included. However, we continued to support charities and groups as best we could.
From 2024, Furness Homeless Support will continue to be our main charity partner. Ford Park (many people don't realise our local, beautiful park is a charity) will be receiving donations via the Botanical Spirits we create using their produce. We will continue to supply St Mary's Hospice with their own label charity gin. We have some other ideas in the still for raising charity funds!
Furness Homeless: £800 + £100 from WI talks + £250 shopping
Cafs: £650
St Mary’s Hospice: Own label Gin being sold at the hospice; various vouchers and bottles for raffles.
Ford Park, Ulverston: £100. Quince, Pear & Sage vodka and jelly (created with botanicals from their walled garden). We donate the jars of jelly for them to sell. We sell the vodka at Shed One and online.
Another Fine Fest: £500 + various bottles of gin, and vouchers for their raffles.
Cumbria Poverty Truth Commission: 100 mini jars of marmalade for their launch.
Vision Support: Takings and raffle at a Hands-on Distillery Tour & Tasting at Shed One.
Plus, here are some of the groups we donated products to:
Oak Tree Animals
Hut Fest
Cumbria Community Foundation
Shared Lives Westmorland and Furness
Kendal Pride
Allithwaite Bowling club in aid of Prostate and Breast Cancer charities
Ormsgill Primary School
Good220 for Brathay youth matters and Alzheimer’s research
Carer Support South Lakes
Theatre & Event Technology, Kendal College
Castle Green Hotel for Muscular Dystrophy
Aroma Catering Foundation
Lakeland Festival of Light Serie
Lowick Young Farmers for St Mary’s Hospice