We’re committed to making the most of every pre-loved item you generously donate. Please follow these guidelines to ensure your contributions benefit the charity and avoid unnecessary costs.
Preparing your donations
Before bringing items to our shops, please ensure they are in good condition — completely saleable, undamaged, and complete. A simple rule of thumb is: Would I buy this?
By making these checks, you’ll help us reduce the number of unsaleable items we have to dispose of, which incurs additional waste disposal costs for the charity.
Items we cannot accept
Due to restrictions from our recycling partners, we cannot accept items that are not fully functional. This includes broken electrical goods, which we are unable to recycle and must pay to dispose of.
| Items we welcome | Items we cannot accept |
|---|---|
| Good quality clothing | White goods, e.g. fridges and cookers |
| Accessories – shoes, handbags, scarves | TVs and any related recording devices |
| CDs and DVDs | Large items of furniture, sofas, etc. |
| Bric-a-brac | Record players and old hi-fi systems |
| Jewellery | Safety equipment, e.g. bike helmets, lifesaving devices, child car seats, etc. |
| Linen | Prams, pushchairs, cots, mattresses |
| Children’s toys | Video tapes and audio cassettes |
| Pictures and paintings | Clothes hangers |
| Vinyl records and collectibles | Opened cosmetics and toiletries |
| Small working electrical items | Digital devices (e.g. laptops, tablets and phones)* |
Donating digital devices*
We’re grateful for your support, but due to data protection concerns, we can only accept digital devices (such as hard drives, iPads, tablets, and mobile phones) if they have been professionally erased prior to donation.
Please note:
- A standard hard drive format does not guarantee data removal – information can still be recovered using software.
- Devices like tablets and phones often require the original user password to be fully wiped, which we may not be able to access.
To keep everyone’s data safe, we kindly ask that you only donate digital items that have been securely and professionally wiped.
Packing your donations
Please ensure your donations are packed in bags or boxes that can also be donated, as we are unable to return any containers, bags, or tubs.
Gift Aid helps your donation go further. Read more about Gift Aiding your donation.