Unsellable charity shop donations cost West Midlands children's hospice more than £100,000 a year
Acorns asks supporters to check items are clean, complete and safe before donating
Acorns Children's Hospice is urging people to think carefully about what they donate to its charity shops, after revealing that dealing with items it cannot sell costs more than £100,000 every year.
The charity receives around 3,000 tonnes of donated items annually.
Approximately 2,000 tonnes are sold through its shops to raise money for children and families across the West Midlands.
Around 1,000 tonnes cannot be sold and must be collected by the charity's waste and recycling partners.
Acorns says its retail network sends zero waste to landfill, but its annual bin costs still exceed £100,000.
The charity says that money could otherwise be spent on care and support for babies, children and young people with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions, and their families.
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".
What Acorns is asking people to do
Acorns is encouraging supporters to consider the condition of items before donating them.
The charity says goods that are clean, complete, safe and in good condition are more likely to be sold.
It says this also means more items can stay in circulation, which it says helps reduce waste.
CONFIRM SPEAKER - release attributes the following quote to "James" said:
"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 spread the message among friends, family and neighbours to donate with care in mind.
The charity says it needs more than £40,000 every day to run its services.
More than three quarters of that comes from donations, fundraising and income from its charity shops which raise £2m of the £14m they need to provide care each year, there are 47 of them across the West Midlands.