Last month saw the launch of a new and unique online auction site www.buyoncegivetwice.co.uk which helps charities increase their fundraising by simply recycling luxury auction lot 'waste' at no cost to the charity.

With the launch of BuyOnceGiveTwice, the purchaser can contact the site and re-auction the lot for the charity. The original charity will receive 60% of the resale value and once re-sold, the new purchaser nominates their favourite charity to receive the other 30%.

In other cases, where charities contact BuyOnceGiveTwice directly with lots that are returned to them by the purchaser to re-sell, lots that don't sell at auction, or cases where the purchaser defaults, the charity will receive 90% of the re-sale value. This is philanthropic recycling for 21st Century!

The brainchild of Mia Woodford and Emma Leschallas, who spotted the potential of wasted lots after raising £500,000 at a single auction at the Cura Ball, BuyOnceGiveTwice uses the remaining 10% of the monies received from sales to cover the costs of running the site. Woodford comments, "I have a long history with charity events and auctions, and along with my business partner Emma Leschallas became increasingly frustrated at the thousands of charity auction lots being left unclaimed each year. BuyOnceGiveTwice is a simple idea that will help charities effortlessly increase their fundraising revenue.

"We handle everything from listing and marketing the items to taking payment and despatching the items, so the charity needs hardly lift a finger. It's a win-win situation for charities – they can hand over the responsibility for dealing with unredeemed lots to someone else and at the same time raise huge amounts of money."

Major charities already signed up include Breast Cancer Campaign, Changing Faces, the Motor Neurone Disease Association, Orchid, JDRF, Ovarian Cancer Action and Starlight and the site welcomes smaller charities as well.

For further information visit www.buyoncegivetwice.co.uk