A SHIP’S wheel, a hosiery dressing aide and rockery stones are just some of the weird and wonderful items passed on by Oxford’s 40,000 users of Freegle.

Freegle, which stands for Freely Given, Locally, Easily, allows people to get rid of items they don’t want or find, for free, in exchange for things they need.

And now Oxford has been named “Freegle capital” as it was revealed more people are signed up to the city’s group than anywhere else in the UK with more than a quarter of the city’s 150k population signed up – a total of 41,555.

The second highest is Edinburgh with 27,210 members then it’s Birmingham with 26,853 and Kingston upon Thames with 18,419 members An impressive 15,000kg of goods, including 27 beds and mattresses and 11 sofas have been given away from Oxford locals on the site in the last month, and local users have been singing the site’s praises.

Andrew Widgery, 29, said he had used the service many times over the years and has kitted out his Summertown flat with many of the items.

He said: “I have used Freegle for about four years after moving to Oxford, and have got some great stuff over the years – various sofas and furniture, a TV and lots of white goods. Now I’m married, and my wife Clemmie requires things of a slightly higher calibre, but we have a set of very fine wooden chairs. The rest of the stuff has been re-Freegled.”

Mr Widgery likes the service so much that his new company has developed Snaply, an app which integrates with Freegle to help people find or get rid of items.

North Hinksey resident Carol Kramer is also a user of the service, and still has a garden shed she got through the site.

She said: “I have got rid of a divan bed, crutches, all sorts of things. I started off with Freecycle but this a lot easier to use.”

Freegle was formed as an alternative to Freecycle, which has more than 21,000 signed up locally. UK head of media for Freegle, Cat Fletcher, said Oxford’s success story was down to local volunteers.

She said: “The Oxford Freegle group has been run by local volunteers for 13 years and is a great example of a grass roots initiative with a dash of technology providing a valuable community service that prevents waste and helps people.

“Recent Oxford Freegles include a ship’s wheel, rocking chairs, rockery sandstone and an aide for hosiery dressing. Having such a broad and large membership means that as long as it is legal then it can be redistributed via Freegle.

“The team is made up of dedicated volunteers who ensure that the group is easy to join and available 24/7 for locals to use so that everyone can do their bit to reduce waste and build community spirit.”

SOME OF THE ITEMS LISTED ON FREEGLE YESTERDAY

  • Fish tank requested in the Abingdon, Didcot and Wallingford area
  • Reusable prefold nappies and rubber pants offered in South Oxford
  • 1,000 litre water barrel offered in Botley
  • Wheelchair offered in Carterton
  • Door handles offered in Oxford