How to donate
Come to us – drop items off at a Red Cross charity shop in your area. Please don’t leave donations outside the shop when we are closed as they could be stolen or ruined by the weather.
Or we will come to you if you:
- would like us to arrange a house clearance
- are a company that would like to donate end-of-line, samples or surplus stock
- have any particularly large items to donate that you are unable to bring yourself.
Contact your nearest Red Cross charity shop to see if a collection service is available in your area.
Big recycling sack scheme
Some areas operate a ‘Big recycling sack’ scheme. Our drivers will post a sack through your door for you to fill up at your convenience and will then collect it on the day stated. Alternatively you can collect a big recycling sack in-store to fill up and return. For more details, contact the Red Cross charity shop in your area.
What donations we accept
All donations must be clean, useable and of saleable quality. If you wouldn’t buy it then we probably won’t be able to sell it! The better the quality of your items, the more money we can raise from their sale.
We are always looking for:
- unwanted gifts
- children’s clothing, toys and games
- men’s and women’s clothing and shoes
- books, books on tape, DVDs, videos, CDs and vinyl
- accessories, non-pierced jewellery, belts, handbags
- bric a brac, crockery, glassware, bakeware, household linen and ornaments
- any old clothes or textiles that are no longer useable can still raise money by being sold to textile merchants.
Some shops can accept secondhand furniture and electrical equipment.
Find out more about our specialty shops.
What donations we can’t accept
We cannot sell anything that it would be unsafe for you to buy – anything that is broken, dangerous, unhygienic, where its safety cannot be proven or it would be illegal for us to sell. Please do not bring these items to us as we will have to incur costs for their disposal.
In particular, we can’t accept:
- medication or solvents
- gas/oil appliances, batteries
- 18 certificate, counterfeit or homemade films and music
- crash helmets, hard hats or protective headgear and clothes
- food or drink, poisonous, toxic or hazardous substances, tobacco
- used dentures, jewellery for pierced body-parts, cosmetics and toiletries
- mains electrical items (apart from our designated furniture and electrical shops)
- toys, nightwear or upholstered items that don’t have the relevant safety labels
- used children’s shoes, clothing with drawstrings, cots, prams or nursery furniture
- weapons or realistic toy weapons, blades or objects that could be used as weapons.
Prescription glasses
While we cannot sell prescription glasses, they can be sent to:
Vision Aid Overseas
Unit 12 The Bell Centre
Newton Rd
Manor Royal
Crawley
West Sussex
RH10 9FZ
Telephone 01293 535 016
Why we need donations
Our shops sell your donations to fund the work of the British Red Cross. The Red Cross helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies – both in the UK and across the world.
When we would prefer cash
If you want to donate to an emergency appeal, we prefer cash because we source necessary items from the affected region. We do not send donated items abroad. Local purchasing assists the region, reduces our transport costs and speeds up our delivery times.
Find your nearest Red Cross charity shop
Find out about our charity shops
Find out about charity shop volunteering |
