Donations that can't be resold costing West Midlands children's hospice charity £100,000 every year
Acorns Children’s Hospice is urging people to think carefully about the items they donate to its charity shops
Acorns Children’s Hospice is urging people to think carefully about the items they donate to its charity shops, after revealing that dealing with goods it cannot sell costs the charity more than £100,000 every year.
Acorns, which has hospice services in Worcester, Walsall and Birmingham, as well as charity shops all across the West Midlands, receives around 3,000 tonnes of donated items every year, with approximately 1,000 of these unable to be resold.
While Acorns retail network said it "proudly" sends zero waste to landfill, disposing of unwanted donations still comes at a "significant cost".
This extra cost is money that could be used by Acorns to provide specialist care and support for babies, children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and their families.
The charity said that £100,000 could provide hospice care for a family for just over three days, meaning unsuitable donations are using vital funds that instead could be helping seriously ill children.
Gary Pettit, Associate Director of Retail, at Acorns Children’s Hospice, said: “Every donation to Acorns is an act of generosity and we are incredibly grateful for.
"Behind every bag brought through the doors of our shops is someone wanting to make a difference to children and families who need us.
“But when we receive an item that we simply cannot sell, there is a cost involved in dealing with it.
"For a charity that needs more than £40,000 every day to provide our vital services, that is money we could spend on the children and families we support.
“At Acorns, we take care of the serious stuff, so families can have more time for what matters most – being together and making memories - every donation that can be sold in our shops helps us continue to do that”.
Acorns is encouraging supporters to consider the condition of items before donating them.
Goods that are clean, complete, safe and in good condition are the most suitable donations.
Stained clothing that cannot be washed, damaged toys and incomplete games are some examples Acorn's said it has no choice but to dispose of.
It also cannot resell some second hand safety equipment, such as bicycle helmets, due to concerns about how much they've been used before, limiting their safety.
Business Development Manager, James Roberts, added: “We’re not asking people to give more, but just to take a few extra considerations.
"Before bringing something to an Acorns shop, take a moment to think: is it clean, complete, safe and in good enough condition for somebody else to buy and use? Would you be happy to give it to a friend or family member?
“That small check can make a really meaningful difference. The better the quality of the donations we receive, the more money we can raise to support children and families, helping make sure generosity goes as far as possible.”
The charity hopes supporters will help spread the message among friends, family and neighbours: donate with care in mind.