How charity shops raise £270m a year from your clutter
DECLUTTER FOR GOOD
THERE are more than 11,000 charity shops in Britain that need items which clutter up your home, but they can sell to raise much needed funds.
According to the Charity Retail Association more than £270 million a year is raised in such shops thanks to the generosity of donors.
Among the most sought-after items are clothing, books, toys, ornaments, kitchenware, DVDs, computer games and home furnishing. Music and bridal wear also sell particularly well.
What a charity shop does not want is a black bin liner full of your old junk left on their doorstep in the middle of the night. Rather than providing help this only presents them with the unpleasant task of having to sift through it the next day.
About 6 per cent of all the goods sold in charity shops are brand new – so unwanted gifts are ideal. You might visit a charity website or pop into the shop and ask what sort of things they like selling.
Junk or clothing that has been collecting dust in an attic, garage or the back of a wardrobe without being used for a year or more might at least be put to better use if it can be sold to help a good cause.
Jade Sexton loves shoes but if she has not worn a pair for a year she will often donate them to the Isabel Hospice charity in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.
The 25-year-old fashion house assistant says: ‘My weakness for Kurt Geiger shoes can be turned to a strength as it ends up helping a charity that has supported my family in the past.’
Charity shops do not pay corporate tax or VAT on the sale of donated goods so every penny raised can be put to good use. While you are in the charity shop with your unwanted items you might even consider how you can start restocking that de-cluttered home with bargains – where any purchase will help the charity.
For details of charity shops in your area, visit the Charity Retail Association website.