Following my news item about the benefits of seeking donated goods from your local community via the Freecycle network, I can confirm that it worked well for me. I offered a shower rail kit via the Colchester network, got four expressions of interest within three hours, and this morning the lucky recipient came to collect it.
The Colchester Freecycle network runs using the Yahoo! Groups system and there are over 300 members. So, if you're looking for something to be donated eg. PC monitor, desk, chair, fridge etc, I'd suggest trying it. There's no charge to join and all items offered are donated - there is no charge for them.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/colchesterfreecycleuk/