How your winter clear-out can make a difference to families in your area

A charity is pledging to continue caring for all the clothes people throw away as part of their winter clear-out, so it can continue caring for the region’s most vulnerable children and their families. East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) is running its Bag It, Bring It, Boost It donation drive to help ensure high levels of stock heading into a year when the charity hopes for £5 million income from its shops. EACH currently needs around 7,500 bags of donations a week to keep its retail operation running.

A company from Norwich has already pledged its support of the campaign and filled 25 giant sacks. Staff of SG Wealth Management have contributed clothes, books, DVDs, toys, bric-a-brac and more.

Stephen Girling, SG Wealth Management Managing Director, said “Having supported the wonderful work of EACH for a number of years, we’re proud our staff were able to contribute in this way. We hope our bag donations will help towards EACH’s drive to boost revenue generated from their shops.”

Ian Nicolson, EACH Head of Retail and Trading, said: “We now have 42 shops meaning we can generate so much more money to help more children, young people and families, but more than ever we need all types of donations. At the moment, we’re particularly after household goods, ladies clothing and accessories. This is typically a good time of year for a clear-out and many people end up with items they no longer need after Christmas, or items they simply never wanted in the first place! Please bring them along to an EACH shop and help make this donation drive a crackerjack.”

To put into context the difference just a small donation to a shop can make to the vital work EACH does, here are some examples of what a donation could pay for:

–           A top, skirt or pair of trousers worth £5 could pay for art supplies for a session of art therapy

–           A tea set worth £11 could fund an hour of specialist play tailored to a child’s individual needs

–           A nice wedding hat or jacket worth £19 could pay for an hour of vital physiotherapy

–           An item of good-quality furniture or prom dress worth £24 could fund an hour with a psychologist to help guide and support families going through, likely, the toughest period of their lives

EACH can provide themed collection bags, posters and flyers. It can also arrange collections for any companies, schools or just large groups that want to participate. Contact your relevant fundraising office:

Cambridgeshire and West Essex – 01223 204916 or cambs@each.org.uk

Suffolk and East Essex – 01473 917965 or treehouse@each.org.uk

Norfolk – 01508 800594 or norfolk@each.org.uk

For more information about Bag It, Bring It, Boost It visit www.each.org.uk or drop by your nearest EACH shop.