[Misc] Door Charity Collections

[whitelion]

I did a days volunteer work a few weeks ago at a hospice which my company sponsors, sifting through tons of bags of donated clothes, deciding what was decent enough to go to a charity shop to be sold, and what was only fit for recycling / incineration.

Some bags had decent clothes that had been laundered, neatly folded and packed. Some of the bags were basically a random bundled up jumble of FILTH. Unwashed clothes with unpleasant suspicious stains, dirty undies, kids clothes with food stuck to them, things with frayed edges and holes in. Bloody grim (gloves were essential). Needed a good shower after all that, some of it was truly minging.

So if you're donating old clothes, for the sake of the poor saps at the other end who have to sift though it, do try to make sure its clean, folded and in good enough condition to be sold on in a shop.

Found a PS3 in one bag though, which was nice.

I agree entirely. I sorted my clothes into three piles:

Bin
Keep
Charity

It was all clean and I hope somebody would be able to utilise what I'd essentially grown out of/grown tired of.

I find it hard to understand someone who'd donate clothes in that condition.

 

[Easy 10]

I agree entirely. I sorted my clothes into three piles:

Bin
Keep
Charity

It was all clean and I hope somebody would be able to utilise what I'd essentially grown out of/grown tired of.

I find it hard to understand someone who'd donate clothes in that condition.

Probably just laziness. People just getting shot of all their old crap, without bothering to properly sort it or in many cases even clean it.

 

[Super Steve Earle]

I've been needing to sort out unwanted clothes etc for quite a while now. I received a plastic bag from a Cancer charity on Monday stating it would collect on Thursday and it was specifically for clothes. Getting into it I managed to not only bag up their bag but a further four large bags.

So I'm now awaiting collection. In your experience do they collect on the day they say and do they take away other stuff not in "their bag"?

In my experience, no they don't collect at all. I presume they pay people to deliver bags and have volunteers to pick up. My bags now go straight from door to bin and old clothes are taken by me to a local charity shop.

 

[Fungus]

I agree entirely. I sorted my clothes into three piles:

Bin
Keep
Charity

It was all clean and I hope somebody would be able to utilise what I'd essentially grown out of/grown tired of.

I find it hard to understand someone who'd donate clothes in that condition.

No need to bin any old clothes - plenty of supermarkets have fabric banks that take any unwearable materials.

As mentioned elsewhere, definitely take decent stuff to local charity shops and sign up for gift-aid - it's amazing how it adds up.

 

[dejavuatbtn]

We tend to support the Martlets Hospice, whether it's clothes or other stuff that we could sell but can’t be bothered. It’s a good way of donating to a worthwhile charity whilst not actually handing over cash. Their depot is near Hove recycling centre so, as advised above, at clear out time we sort it into a keep pile, a bin pile and a charity pile. We have made loads of donations recently as a result of family members passing away - the charity is well run and gives feedback on how much they make. Having visited their depot, they have a lot of good furniture there that some less well off people can take advantage of. It’s a green thing to do.

 

[banjo]

Charity shop if you can get to one.

 

[whitelion]

Five bags of clothes sitting outside my front door still. The number on the Breast Cancer charity is an 0844 number and not covered in my minutes and no cash/Will to ring it now.

It'll probably be a trip to the charity shop but feel let down.

 

[father_and_son]

I've been needing to sort out unwanted clothes etc for quite a while now. I received a plastic bag from a Cancer charity on Monday stating it would collect on Thursday and it was specifically for clothes. Getting into it I managed to not only bag up their bag but a further four large bags.

So I'm now awaiting collection. In your experience do they collect on the day they say and do they take away other stuff not in "their bag"?

My understanding is that anything in their bag is a "donation" and they can take it... anything not in their bag classes as domestic waste or private property (depending on where it is) and they need to have waste licence to take that away or explicit permission depending on where it is.

So strictly speaking if they take anything not in one of their bags... that would be theft and/or illegal waste handling too.

As said by others.... charity shop is the way forward. A greater percentage of the value will go to charity than most other ways of donating.

 

[Norman Potting]

Like many others we get these bags regularly delivered. I am always a little dubious as to whether or not they genuinely do go to the (usually of the "never heard of them" variety) Charity. I leave the unfilled bag for them to collect and, if left, it makes a useful kitchen bin liner.

We are regular charity shoppers, must be in the genes as my grandparents were avid jumble sale attendees, and my mum worked in a Charity shop and was alway ferreting out bargains. We prefer to give unwanted stuff directly to our local hospice store as they then benefit with added gift aid on the items.

As some have already mentioned you can good furniture at demon deal prices from charity warehouses, all three of our sofas have been sourced thus. I class myself as "tight with money" rather than "less well off" !

 

[AmexRuislip]

I've been needing to sort out unwanted clothes etc for quite a while now. I received a plastic bag from a Cancer charity on Monday stating it would collect on Thursday and it was specifically for clothes. Getting into it I managed to not only bag up their bag but a further four large bags.

So I'm now awaiting collection. In your experience do they collect on the day they say and do they take away other stuff not in "their bag"?

We take all our unwanted stuff to our local Sue Ryder charity shop.
They are really polite and helpful in taking stuff of your hands.
We also get an annual letter off them, saying how much they have raised on items donated and sold.
It's a lot better than waiting for some gimp to collect from the house.