Kathy Hamilton Let’s talk about how to easily donate unused items to charity, shall we? It frees your space from unwanted/unused clutter. (admit it, you’re never going to wear that ruffled blouse lurking in the back of your wardrobe!) Plus, it doubles up by helping a charity raise vital funds and also helping people who need those items, access them at a fair price.
Recently I began to wonder if I could be doing more? What about donating old electronics, toiletries or food? The answer is, of course, yes and it’s the focus of today’s blog post (yay)! Here’s how to easily donate unused items to charity:
Donate Clothes to a Charity Shop
I’m a self-confessed clothes cultivator. But even I can admit that sometimes, with the best will in the world, there are items I don’t, need, want, or rarely wear in there. More importantly, they could be put to better use by donating them. So, that’s exactly what I did. I ruthlessly culled two full bin bags of clothes, barely worn shoes and accessories and took them to my local charity shop. It might be the most obvious way to easily donate unused items to charity, but it’s also the perfect place to start!
Take Food and Toiletries to a Food Bank
New figures reveal more than four million adults in the UK are forced to turn to food banks, after benefits have failed to rise in line with living costs. So taking food and even toiletries to the foodbank can be way to easily donate unused items to charity. Most supermarkets have a place you can handily donate these items, and if not you can also arrange to drop products off at your local food bank too. Curious about what items they desperately need? Have a look at this list provided by the Trussel Trust.
Help Tackle Period Poverty
Did you know that period poverty actually stops some girls going to school in the UK? I didn’t! It’s a serious issue that has gone unnoticed for years, thanks to our cultural taboos around mentioning this normal bodily function. Scotland has decided to tackle the issue head on by providing free-sanitary products to women and girls from a low-income background but you can too. Consider donating to charities like, Bloody Good Period which supplies 15 centres across London and Leeds. Or The Red Box Project which also accepts donations at educational institutions nationwide. Additionally, it’s worth asking if your local foodbank accepts sanitary products, as many do.
Give Old Tech a New Life
I’m not sure about you but I have quite a lot of gadgets that I have either upgraded or simply don’t use in my flat. As long at it’s still usable and in good condition, there’s no reason why this technology can’t be easily donated. Oxfam and Age UK, for example, have schemes set up to accept unwanted technology, including mobiles, laptops . Alternatively, Streetbank is an interesting option, allowing you to share or give away unwanted items for free. Here you can donate everything from TVs to textbooks, and it’s supported by the charity NESTA as well as the UK Cabinet Office.
