What It’s Really Like to Start a Party Kit - Joely Shares Her Experience
- Party Kit Network
- May 21
- 4 min read
Joely Martin set up a new party kit in Northampton, UK and joined the Party Kit Network in February 2025.
People who create party kits come from a wide range of backgrounds, but all share a vision for a future where reuse is the default. They know party kits do more than reduce waste - they bring communities together and empower people to take local climate action.
When Joely discovered the concept, she knew she wanted to get involved.
A Passion for the Planet
Joely’s interest in caring for the environment started young.
“I can remember feeling frustrated at fellow teenagers dropping litter at school and not seeming to give it a second thought. I just felt it was wrong and we should care, so I followed my passion and went on to do an environment-related degree at uni and have worked in this field for 13 years now.”
She now works in the sustainability team at her local council and she always tries to make environmentally conscious choices part of her everyday life. Last year Joely got married, renting instead of buying her wedding dress, a move which not only saved her money but ensured that the dress she enjoyed wearing on her wedding day will be used for celebrations many more times.
Discovering the Party Kit Concept
In January 2025, while planning a birthday party for her young daughter, conscious of just how much waste can be created at parties, Joely was keen to plan the party to be as low waste as possible. Knowing that reusable tableware is one of the easiest ways to reduce waste at a party, she searched online for reusable tableware and came across the Party Kit Network.
She found a local kit to borrow and loved the experience: “Everything I needed was in one box and the process to borrow the party kit went really well.”
Checking the Network’s members map, she was surprised to see only one kit in her county, despite there being 400 kits across the UK.
“After a positive hire experience, and running the idea past a few mum friends at the party, I thought I would give it a go. I live by my sustainability values, so I thought: if I’m not the person to try it, then who is?”
Starting a Party Kit with Support from the Network
Joely used many of the free resources from the Party Kit Network to get started. This included downloading the Get Started guide, joining one of the monthly webinars, and using editable templates to create a logo. She appreciated the advice to start small and not get overwhelmed with too many choices at the beginning.
“I keep my kit at home and don't have a huge storage capacity, so I knew I needed to start with a couple of complete sets and build it as interest grows.”
The support from other network members was also key.
“The support from fellow kit owners really keeps you motivated, knowing we are all helping in our communities to work towards a common goal.”
One of the more challenging parts for Joely was figuring out how to handle payments, but with help she has set up a simple solution using bank transfer and an online form.
Building Local Interest and Spreading the Word
Putting together a party kit is just the first step - the real challenge is encouraging people to use it. This can be tricky for many network members, especially if they don’t already have strong local community connections to help spread the word.
“It’s not an overnight success and some days can feel disheartening when you're fighting against cheap disposables.”
Joely offered her new kit to friends early on, using this as a way to test her admin processes and spread the word.
“I’ve only had a handful of hires to date, but I feel proud knowing this alone has helped save over 300 single-use items so far. The collective impact of the network is huge, so it's inspiring to know I’m already contributing.”
Reaching Out Through Social Media and Local Events
Joely has gradually built up a good following on social media, particularly Instagram. It’s been a good way to promote her kit and show what she offers.
“I was nervous at first to put my face behind the camera for social media, but have found it makes a big difference to the engagement and views. A reel of me packing my first kit has been viewed almost 800 times, which may not seem a lot to many, but felt like a big deal to me!”
Her daughter’s nursery offered to display a poster, a small but meaningful boost in local visibility. And her daughter enjoys pointing out the poster to her mum each day!
To grow her local party kit community, Joely has donated a party kit hire to a local village raffle, using a Party Kit Network voucher template, and has promoted her kit at the local village fete.
“I’ve had a good response so far, but I'm keen to keep growing it and extending it to others in my community.”
The Joy of Seeing It in Action
“It's such a buzz when I've loaned a kit out and attended a party with my daughter: looking around at my kit in use and parents asking questions about it and being supportive.”
“It reminds me of the reason why I set it up in the first place - to have a positive impact on my local environment, which I feel I'm starting to do!”
Find Joely on Instagram @northamptonpartykits
Inspired to set up a party kit?
