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Charities

Clothes Banks ?

(90 Posts)
Greenfinch Sat 28-Nov-20 21:58:41

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken the trouble to reply. I was really thinking of a place where people could come and choose clothes that would be useful to them ie people who really need them. I have tried Freecycle before but felt that the people who came for the clothes did not actually need them ( one was a local councillor )but were going to sell them on. Some were very choosy about what they took.I tried again last week with a pair of new football boots but there were no takers.

M0nica Sat 28-Nov-20 18:53:55

Lots of places have clothing banks. The Salvation Army have them everywhere, including in the carpark of our small local co-op. The Tesco in my nearest town has one, while for worn out clothes, my local tip has a textile recycling bin.

If you have a good bundle of children or babies clothes - or even adult's clothes you could Freecycle or Freegle them. Charity shops are not the only place to take unwanted clothes.

Laughterlines Sat 28-Nov-20 18:51:39

There is a charity called Sals Shoes which does good work collecting and distributing outgrown (not worn out) shoes. You need to clean them first. Any size kind kids to adults any style slippers, footie boots, ballet shoes, flip flops as well as everyday wear.

nexus63 Sat 28-Nov-20 18:42:54

we have online websites on facebook such as free to you scotland, people offer or ask for anything from clothes, shoes and furniture, maybe see if they have something in you area, they would come and collect, it is a good way of giving for free to people who really need the items

MissAdventure Sat 28-Nov-20 18:38:43

Mine have been on ebay, freecycle and gumtree.
We have huge bins outside charity shops, but they're taped up with signs on saying "no more donations", and I've been in touch with two food banks.
I don't drive, am working, and moving the bags from place to place around my flat was getting me down.

GagaJo Sat 28-Nov-20 18:36:19

There is a place on Tyneside that takes clothes. Mostly children's, but they have some stock of adults stuff too.

They also offer everything for babies and toddlers. Cots, pushchairs, highchairs etc. All donated.

Patsy70 Sat 28-Nov-20 18:31:50

The charity shops are finding it difficult to store donated clothes at the moment, as they can’t be sorted for 72 hours and there isn’t enough space. There are recycling bins and centres where clothes/shoes are collected and distributed to those in need. Also, as others have suggested advertise locally. I use nextdoor.com and freecycle. I hate waste, and prefer to find a home for clothes that I no longer need.

Maggiemaybe Sat 28-Nov-20 18:05:24

I’d never throw good clothes to landfill. There are so many people in need of them wherever you live and so many ways of getting donations to them, most of them already mentioned in the thread.

In my neighbourhood we also have a baby bank, school uniform exchanges, women’s refuges, a group who help the local homeless, all in need of donations. And permanent collection points in supermarket car parks where you can post clothes and shoes to be sorted and donated or sold on in aid of various charities. Local schools will also take outgrown uniform to pass on to pupils who need it.

Our Council collects clothes and shoes that aren’t fit to be passed on for recycling. If they were seen in general waste the bin wouldn’t be emptied.

paddyanne Sat 28-Nov-20 17:26:16

We need control of our own financed Jayt we get less than half of what we raise back from Westminster while they pocket the rest and then borrow and tell us we owe them the money they sent on things like London Sewers ,London crossrail ,HS2 etc etc etc .If we have control over our own income we can have a much fairer society ,we're making strides as it is with the SNP mitigating tory policies but we need full control to make the changes we must for the sake of future generations

glammanana Sat 28-Nov-20 17:26:05

Make age appropriate bundles and advertise them free on your local facebook or gumtree pages some one will be glad of them,charity shops don't have the space at the minute as loads of people have had massive sortouts over the past few months

Jayt Sat 28-Nov-20 16:54:28

I often put things on our local Facebook page if they’re going to be thrown out. Amazing how many people ask for them. Also Buy, Swap, Sell pages and local Gumtree. These are good local outlets and advertise free things as well as those available to buy. I buy from them as well!

Jayt Sat 28-Nov-20 16:51:11

In Scotland we have School Clothes Banks and Baby Banks as well. I feel so sad that people need these , along with food banks, in an affluent country. Do we need better benefits, education or what?

welbeck Sat 28-Nov-20 16:38:31

have you contacted local food bank, they often collect them, or know who does.
try salvation army. refugee centres. etc.

MissAdventure Sat 28-Nov-20 16:33:06

For the first (and hopefully last) time ever, I had to throw away teen clothes, uniform and shoes, some never worn.

I couldn't give them away to anyone!

Greenfinch Sat 28-Nov-20 16:28:32

Do clothes banks exist in a similar way to food banks ? Our local charity shops do not seem to be welcoming donations at the moment and I was wondering if there was any way I could give away surplus clothing. I have got a lot of good quality children's and teenage clothes and don't just want to bin them when I am sure there is a great need. I am unable to locate one locally.