Donate to our shops

Reasons for donating

More than 1,000 people were asked why they donated to charity shops. Here are the top 5 reasons:

1  To help other people who can’t afford to buy new items
2=  It’s a convenient place to take things I no longer need
2=  I want to support a specific charity/cause I care about
4  I want to support charities (in general)
5  It’s easy to get to/in an area I often visit

Survey by JRA Research, as reported by Third Sector 15/08/2011.

What can I donate?

Almost anything, we accept:

• unwanted gifts
• clothes
• books
• jewellery
• toys
• CDs
• curtains, linens and other home furnishings
• vases, photo frames, plant pots, jigsaw puzzles
• videos and DVDs.

It doesn’t matter if items are damaged or otherwise past their best. We are expert recyclers – we were recently awarded the title of Recycler of the Year – and there’s very little that has no value at all. Take a look at our list of what we can recycle.

How can I donate items?

You can:

• drop off items at your local shop during working hours - our staff and volunteers will be pleased to receive your donations (please don’t leave them outside if the shop is shut), or
• fill an Age NI donation bag left at your home. From time to time our stock collectors will post a bag through your letterbox. Just fill it and leave it outside your home in a visible position on the day indicated on the bag.

If you have several bags and can't drop them off yourself, contact your local shop to make arrangements for a pick-up.

The more bags you have, the more economical it will be for us to come to you. Maybe your family, friends and neighbours have something we can collect at the same time? Let us know.

Don’t just donate it – Gift Aid it

If, when you bring us your unwanted items, you sign up for Gift Aid, we can claim extra money at no cost whatsoever to you.

What is Gift Aid?

If you are a UK taxpayer making a donation to one of our shops you can use Gift Aid to increase its value by 25 per cent. It has no cost implications and will not affect your tax code. We reclaim the tax from HM Revenue and Customs.

Who is eligible to sign up for Gift Aid?

If you are a UK taxpayer and have paid an annual amount of income or capital gains tax at least equal to the amount of tax being reclaimed by the Charity, you can apply to be a Gift Aid donor.

How do I apply?

All you need to do is to complete a Gift Aid Donor Declaration form when you bring your goods into the shop. You will receive a Donor ID card with a unique number.

Once your stock has been sold you will receive a letter informing you of the amount raised through the sale of your donation. With your consent we will be able to reclaim the tax from HM Revenue and Customs.