What to Donate
We’re extremely grateful to everyone that takes the time to sort through their wardrobe or their home to donate to St Mary’s but it’s important to remember that we’re looking for items that still have some life left in them. Please only donate items that are in a usable condition: we don’t expect everyone to have a cupboard full of designer labels to give us but please be mindful that anything that isn’t saleable has to be disposed of responsibly and actually costs us money to do so.
How to Donate
We respectfully ask that if you have a large quantity of goods to donate that you call the shop first to ensure they have enough space to accommodate them as many of our shops have only limited storage space. Thank you for your understanding.
If you have a lot to donate or have larger items but have no way of getting those to us then simply give our Furniture warehouse a call and they’ll arrange a free collection. Click here for more details.
We respectfully ask that donations are not left outside any of our shops after closing time as they are a hazard.
If you are a UK tax payer you can make your donations worth 25% more through the HMRC Gift Aid scheme with no extra cost to you*. It’s quick and easy to sign up and we’ll do the rest. You can download a Gift Aid form here and simply attach the completed form to your donations. After that, every time you donate you only need to tell us your surname and postcode and we can claim the gift aid on top of your donation. It’s that easy!
*Please note, if you pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your donations in that tax year it will be your responsibility to pay any difference.
Things we can’t accept
There are certain items that we cannot sell for legal and safety reasons. Receiving items that we cannot sell in our shops will translate into a cost for disposal for the Hospice. Please take a look at the list below to find out which items we are not able to collect.
Furniture and Housewares
Upholstered furniture without fire labels
White flat packed, chipboard white veneered furniture
Damaged items or with missing part which would make the item unsafe to use
Electrical Items
- Electric blankets
- Electric showers
- Sunbeds and tanning equipment
- Waste disposal units
- Power tools without instructions
- White goods (except via our Furniture warehouse, in great condition and we may carry out a portable electrical test (PAT) test before accepting)
- Cathode tube television
Heating and Cooking
- Gas appliances (mains or bottled)
- Gas cookers
- Ovens with glass front/doors
- Oil filled radiators (not supplied with a thermostat)
- Oil heaters (mobile)
- Storage heaters hardwired
Children’s Equipment
- Children’s car seats
- Prams, pushchairs and buggies
- Highchairs
- Cots, carry cots, playpens
- Toys without the CE mark
Sports and Safety Equipment
- Bicycles (accepted at our furniture warehouse only)
- Rollerblades, skateboards and scooters
- Buoyancy aids, lifejackets, inflatable dinghies
- Safety helmets, riding hats, crash helmets
- Cycle helmets • Safety harnesses of any sort
- Fire fighting equipment
Software and Hardware
- Home recorded DVDs, video and audio tapes
- Home recorded computer games and software on recordable CDs and DVDs
- VCR videos
- DVD and Videos without the necessary age rating
Weapons
- Knives
- Swords, sword stocks, crossbows
- Guns and ammunition (including replica guns)
- Sharp items, including gardening tools
Miscellaneous
- Personal appliances such as shavers, foot spas, etc (unless unused and in original sealed box)
- Duvets and pillows that have been used
- Medications including vitamins
- Perishable goods, food and drinks
- Prescription spectacles
- Cleaning agents, solvents and adhesives
- Ivory
- Petrol or diesel fuelled garden tools such as lawn mowers
- Candles without instructions
- Used animal beds and cages
- Open toiletries/cosmetics
- Fur